Does There Exist Any Surface Material That Insects Cannot Vertically Climb?
It is hard to keep an insect down, literally. As you have certainly noticed on several occasions in the past, insects have a real talent for scaling vertical surfaces by using nothing more than their uniquely adapted six legs. For those who have ever found themselves curious as to how insects scale vertical surfaces, or if there exists any type of surface that insects cannot scale, then researchers from Kiel University in Germany have you covered. For the past several years, several researchers have studied the adhesive organs that allow insects to scale a variety of surfaces. These studies were conducted with the hope of developing a new type of material that insects would not be able to adhere to in order to scale vertical surfaces. Several types of materials have already been developed that purport to be specially made to prevent insects from sticking to them. However, these materials have not stood up to their claims and some contain toxic substances, but luckily a non-toxic and non-sticky bio-inspired material has been developed that effectively repels crawling insects.
Amazingly, insects are able to climb just about any surface, whether natural or manmade. Insects typically have no problem scaling any vertical surface. The most slippery surfaces possess the perfect mix of smoothness and roughness. A surface that is too smooth can be scaled by insects through the use of adhesive pads on their feet, and surfaces that are too rough can be scaled by insects through the use of their interlocking claws. In order to create a surface that cannot be scaled by either of these two methods, researchers developed a nanostructured surface material that is too slippery to be scaled by insects. In fact, the dimensions of the nanostructure can be altered to prevent only certain types of insects from climbing vertically upwards. These surfaces can be used in areas where insects access high-up locations, such as air conditioning vents or air ducts.
Would you like to know what types of surfaces can be scaled by spiders?