Why do cockroaches they lie on their back when they die?
366509
This was a question that intrigued me as well. Whenever I sprayed a roach, it would always flip over and die on its back. Very strange. \nThe Straight Dope has some theories on this position. See http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_024.html .
254040
As soon as death occurs, decomposition starts.  They float because of the build up of gasses in the lungs and digestive tract.
255563
Dead things often end up on their backs because that is the equilibrium position with their center of gravity lowest to the ground. Dead fish float upside down because that places their center of gravity nearest the surface. Either way, the energy of the system is minimized. SUVs easily tip over for the same reason - too high a center of gravity
1046240
Absolutely not. People believed that the eggs could be carried on shoes and eventually hatch somewhere else. If a cockroach dies then so does the eggs because they cannot survive in a dead body or outside of it. To kill them is a matter of personal preference, squash them,spray them or put poison down
1038732
So that they can have a nice dry spot - if they waited until after it had rained to lie down then they would get wet tummys!\n\nI'm not sure how they know when it's going to rain though...maybe some kind of 6th sense?!
990763
Same as now, cockroaches.
325207
The cockroach is an omnivore, that is, it eats everything edible, animal and vegetable. So if we do not move around too much while sleeping they might be inclined to nibble on our earlobes at night. They are rarely aggressive enough to attack us while we are awake. When visiting Tulane University in New Orleans many years ago I slept in a dormitory room and cockroaches were flying down from the ceiling onto my head. I would guess that these large American cockroaches, _Periplaneta americana_, would be capable of taking a good bite out of me.  Only the larger species could take a bite through our skin. Of course the skin of children is much more tender and vulnerable to a roach bite. If the bite becomes infected it is possible for it to leave a scar.
614116
In some areas, cockroaches are able to live outdoors, and make their way into human habitation from there.  Of the 4000 or so species of cockroach worldwide, only about a dozen are household pests.  Most of them live quiet lives on the forest floor and never bother anyone.\n\nThose few species that do become pests, though, are pretty major pests.  In areas where they cannot live outside, they get into homes by being carried in with contaminated foodstuffs, or even egg cases (ootheca) carried in on clothing or in the cracks of shoes.  Sometimes adults will hitch a ride from one building to another.\n\nAt one time the BioSciences building at the University of Alberta was infested with cockroaches.  After one lab, I picked up my backpack and a bunch of cockroaches ran out of the back pocket (where I had foolishly left an open bag of chips).  I left my backpack outside that night.
83673
A cockroach can live nine days without its head before it starves to death
230058
they can surivive a nuclear blast but not directly in the blast radius of the explosion. but if there were to be a nuclear war were we scorch the sky and we have another ice age then roaches would most likey survive. also a roach can live up to seven days with a decapetated head and still be able to reproduce. genetically roaches can withstand radiation and nuclear fall out because of their years of mutation. this bug was around before the dinasaurs and has adapted tyo every living condition none to man and beast.  therefore making it the most natural surviver in any condition.
381807
Slippery floors and muscle spasms... read on:\n\n\n"Q6: Why do cockroaches die on their backs?\n\nA:  First, few cockroaches die on their backs in the wild.  Natural death of cockroaches probably occurs in the stomach of a bird, bat or other small animal.\nSecond, Cockroaches are not used to living on a polished marble or vinyl floor.  They are more used to a ruguous living plane including leaves and sticks and other vegetable debris.  Thus when a cockroach finds itself on its back (by some mistake in its orienteering) it may have trouble righting itself if there is not debris around to grab hold of with its legs.  (Try it, put a cockroach on its back on a polished floor with and without some crinkled paper.)\nThird, often we come across dead cockroaches in buildings that have died of insecticide.  Most of these insecticides are organophosphate nerve poisons.  The nerve poison often inhibits cholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down acetyl choline (ACh), a neurotransmitter.  With extra ACh in the nervous system, the cockroach has muscular spasms which often result in the cockroach flipping on its back.  Without muscular coordination the cockroach cannot right itself and eventually dies in its upside down-position."\nfrom: http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/cockroach_faq.html#Q6\n\nHope that helps!
921446
Bugs move their legs by increasing and decreasing the pressure of their internal liquids. When bugs die, the pressure decreases, and the legs curl up. Bugs are top heavy, so they flip over.
873471
A quick question with a quick answer: They're not blind.\n\nBut if you're still curious if they use it to navigate around... No.\n\nThey use their hypersensitive antennae to navigate, distiguish objects, detect vibrations and find their food.\n\nA cockroach with its antennae cut off will die of starvation.\n\nI do this ALLLLLLLLLLL THE TIME!!!!\n\nAND ITS FEEEEEEEEELLS SO GOOOOOOOOD!!!\n\nYucky creepy bastards!
811077
Cockroaches.  They can withstand nuclear radiation.
1046314
Sadly enough I believe that most cockroaches are flesh eating, even the most common of house invaders.  There was a case of a woman who had multiple roach feeding sites found on her body during the autopsy.  Also roaches have been found in peoples ears and also they bite on the ear drum. I know this is all pretty nasty but sometimes the truth is.
1054584
the cockroach because when everything else is dead they will live on
21025
Cockroaches are the most repulsive of all household pests. Not only do they look disgusting, but they act disgusting. According to the National Pest Control Association cockroaches can contaminate food and transmit disease\n\ncarrying organisms, including staphylococci, strep, colform molds, salmonella, yeast’s and clostridia. They also spread parasites that cause toxoplasmosis, an illness that can causes birth defects if the pregnant women gets infected.\n\nCockroaches spread disease by carrying contaminated organisms onto your countertop or onto your leftout food. Roaches will eat animal and human feces, rotten and contaminated food, book bindings, leather, and even the\n\nglue on canned food labels. They like the glue in paper bags and can be transported from grocery store to homes via the bags.\n\nThere are 4 types of cockroaches. The German Cockroach; the most common and the smallest of the species. American Cockroach; light brown with yellowish wings, can’t really fly, but glides. Oriental Cockroach; dark reddish brown. Brown Banded Cockroach; yellowish or brown with brown bands on wings. Cockroaches can grow to be 2 inches long.\n\nAs for reproduction, all cockroaches produce offspring the same way. The females produce 20 to 30 egg capsules per cycle, each containing between 15 and 40 eggs. Females can have up to 30,000 offspring in their lifetime.\n\nCockroaches like dark, moist, warm places to live in. The kitchen and bathroom fit this description but so do other places like laundry baskets. They will also live in boxes, paperbags and books. It is easy to transport them from house to house and even across oceans.\n\nPrevention and control are important in the fight to eliminate cockroaches. Killing only the ones you see is not effective, because if you see one there is 300 in hiding. To eliminate them in your house you have to get rid of their food and water, eliminate the present population with a poison and prevent future cockroaches from invading your house.\n\nAlways plug drains on sinks when not in use. Cockroaches can’t swim but they can come in through sewer pipes if the water has subsided. Keep counters, floors and cupboard free from food and crumbs.\n\nInsecticide sprays can be used to control cockroaches. You can call out a professional and pay for the service to your home. You can also spray yourself with an insecticide you buy at a home center. You have to make sure you get all the hiding places, cracks, crevices, baseboards and under\n\nsinks. you can also place boric acid powder along the same places and then when a cockroach walks through it, it clings to their feet and antennae. When they ingest the powder it kills them. Boric acid is fairly safe to use and\n\nhandle. Ingested in large quantities can make a human sick too. Cockroach bait houses are also effective as a supplement to spraying.\n\nYou must prevent cockroaches from entering your house by sealing up any holes and cracks along baseboards, door frames and windows. Seal up the space around water and sewer pipes, and electrical and telephone lines where they come inside. Keep all piles of debris and mulches and compost piles away from your house. Spray the perimeter of your house frequently. Cockroaches are stow aways and will come into your house in boxes, bags, pet food cartons (cockroaches love dog food), appliances and laundry, so inspect them carefully.