Why Do Cockroaches Turn Over When They Die?
WouterIf you’ve ever seen a dead cockroach, you might be confused about why it turns over. Cockroaches typically die on their backs, but they don’t always die this way. In fact, they sometimes migrate to the center of a room to die. If you think this is natural behavior, it probably has something to do with insecticides. The poisons may have upset their mental state and caused them to stumble out into the open before they died.
It is thought that cockroaches turn over when they are dying to avoid being trampled or killed. Cockroaches have very long legs and a high center of gravity, which makes it difficult for them to balance themselves. When they are dying, their legs lose control and their back muscles become weakened, which means they can’t right themselves.
Another possible explanation for why cockroaches turn over when they are dead is that the insecticide they were exposed to had affected the insect’s nervous system and internal circuitry. When this happens, the roach can’t get back up on its feet and falls on its back. In the wild, roaches can reach six inches and have a one foot wing span.
When you apply insecticides to cockroaches, the insecticide will cause paralysis in the roaches. This is a way for cockroaches to escape predators. They will roll on their backs when threatened, but will roll right back onto their feet when they feel safe. A similar effect occurs when they are submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. In a Mythbusters experiment, the roaches appeared to be dead, but they were actually alive.
