Re: How can insects climb up walls and walk on ceilings?

Hi Julia,

Insects have small claws which can grip tiny bumps or ridges on the wall that we are often unable to see. In addition this, many insects have pads to help them grip walls and ceilings. Usually these pads are on the feet but they are sometimes found on other parts of the leg. The pads often secrete a substance that helps them to stick to surfaces (if you take a small piece of paper and lick it, you will find that the paper sticks to windows - this ability of certain liquids to stick to things is called adhesion). Many insects have hairs on their pads which will aid their grip. The hairs either help the insect grip to microscopic ridges or they make use of the secretions to adhere to surfaces. The pads on some flies contain more than 40,000 of these hairs and enable them to create adhesive forces several times as strong as their own weight.

Richard Kingsley