Walking On Walls | Waco Exterminator Some insects have the amazing power to defy gravity and actually walk up walls. How is it they can perform this incredible feat? Scientists recently discovered that stick insects use the liquid excreted by their feet to unstick their feet from vertical surfaces like walls, so they can continue their ascent. Previously, they assumed these insects used the liquid from their feet to make their feet adhere to surfaces, similar to how an ice cold glass of beer sticks to a table because it is wet. Recent studies, however, reveal that this liquid is used to create the opposite effect. Researchers performed studies on different how different adhesive pads stuck on glass, trying to mimic the movement of stick insects, and concluded that only dry feet could explain the ability of insects to walk vertically, and the liquid must be used to unstick them. Traditional adhesives tend to leave behind residue when you unstick them. Researchers think that the stick insects use the liquid on their feet to help them unstick their feet so pieces of their feet don't get stuck to the surfaces permanently. It wouldn't be much use walking up walls only to have your foot ripped off when you try to take a step forward. This discovery could actually have potential applications for humans. Do you ever see insects walking up walls? Have you ever wondered how they do it, and if it's possible for humans to do?