Content updated: May 8th, 2026

Key takeaways

  • Cockroaches can climb walls and ceilings, thanks to specialized claws and pads on their legs that help them grip surfaces.
  • You may notice roaches on the wall or ceiling because many common building materials, like wood, drywall, brick, and stone, provide enough texture for climbing.
  • Cockroaches cannot easily climb very smooth surfaces, such as glass, porcelain, metal, granite, or marble.
  • Their ability to perform rapid inversion allows them to flip from a surface to its underside quickly, helping them move efficiently across ceilings and edges.
  • If you’re seeing cockroaches climbing in your home, professional pest control can help address the problem effectively.

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Climbing cockroaches

Surfaces cockroaches can climb

Surfaces cockroaches cannot climb

Rapid inversion

When to contact a cockroach control professional

Have you ever seen roaches on the wall or ceiling and wondered how they got there? Can cockroaches climb? Learn how cockroach anatomy allows them to climb walls, ceilings, and other surfaces.

Climbing cockroaches

Cockroaches can climb. When you encounter cockroaches, you're not only likely to find them scampering across the floor or a countertop but also possibly climbing a wall or crawling across a ceiling.

The “foot” at the end of some cockroaches’ six legs resembles a claw. This is called a “tarsus.” At the end of the tarsus is the pretarsus, which are essentially toes. These claws and pad-like structure are what allows the cockroaches to climb and walk across the ceilings.

Surfaces cockroaches can climb

Unfortunately, many of the materials used in home construction — wood, drywall, brick and stone — offer cockroaches plenty of gripping surfaces, enabling them to climb vertically and walk upside down on a ceiling.

Surfaces Cockroaches Cannot Climb

There are some surfaces in our homes that are usually too smooth for cockroaches to climb. These include:

  1. Porcelain
  2. Glass
  3. Smooth metal
  4. Granite
  5. Marble surfaces

Rapid Inversion

Rapid inversion refers to cockroaches’ ability to swing their bodies from the top of a surface to its underside in a split second. A cockroach will run rapidly toward the edge of a surface until most of its body clears the edge. At the last moment, the rear legs grip the edge and the cockroach swings its body around to grip the underside of the surface. This article explains how different animals, including cockroaches, perform rapid inversion. You can also checkout this video from the University of California, Berkely. 

When to Contact a Cockroach Control Professional

Very few people are excited about discovering cockroaches in their homes. Cockroaches can be mechanical vectors for salmonella and E. coli, as well as trigger allergies and asthma in some people. They also secrete an oily substance with a sickening odor, which can affix itself to dishes, food and clothes. It’s pretty clear that cockroaches are very adaptable creatures on earth, surviving and multiplying on tiny amounts of food and moisture virtually everywhere.

If you’re dealing with a roach problem, contact Terminix® and let our trained technicians help you combat these pesky invaders. 

 

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