EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: Bugging Out — How the Government is Turning COCKROACHES into Spies
Government programs are turning cockroaches into spies using advanced surveillance technology.
Feb. 23 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
A German company is working on a bizarre scheme to turn cockroaches – fitted with tiny backpacks – into an army of spy bugs, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The outfit is named – no surprise – SWARM Biotactics, which is working to use Madagascar hissing cockroaches for spying and search-and-rescue missions.
The plan is to equip the insects with tiny backpacks that carry cameras, microphones, and Doppler radar.
Radiation-Proof Roaches Turned Into Spies
A German tech firm is using Madagascar hissing cockroaches for surveillance because they can survive harsh environments.
The species of roach was picked because it's tiny enough to squeeze anywhere and tough enough to survive chemicals, heat, and radiation that would be dangerous for humans, explains CEO Stefan Wilhelm.
"Millions of years of evolution actually produced a very resilient, a very mobile, and a very capable insect," Wilhelm said. "That is, for what we want to do, a perfect, perfect animal, actually."
The Madagascar bug is ideal because it's strong enough to tote a "significant payload," he said, of backpacks weighing up to 15 grams – but company experts are even trying to reduce that to 10 grams.
Scientists Electrically Steer Roach Swarms
Tiny backpacks equipped with cameras and sensors are being developed to turn cockroaches into controllable spy insects.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
SWARM researchers control the roaches by attaching tiny electrodes to their antennae and stimulate them in the wanted direction. Also under development are algorithms for controlling the bugs.
"With that algorithm we create, you can steer a whole swarm of insects towards a target," said Wilhelm. "And that could be 10, that could be also, like, a hundred."
He also insisted the company's methods are painless, saying the roaches "are very important for us, and they need to be in very good condition, and have a good life, in order to, you know, perform well in their missions."
"We make sure we take good care of them."
The company is currently working with the German military, he said, because the spy roach "gives you a capability no other system can give you because it can go to places where you otherwise couldn't go with any other technology."
"Some cockroaches are more for the camera, some are more for communication, for positioning."
"But you can carry a lot of different sensors, according to what you need."
And just think – the roaches work for crumbs.
