Cockroaches are so easy to kill, so long as they are stationary on a surface that’s ok to get wet (e.g., in the bathroom, around the kitchen sink, or on a non-carpeted floor).
Your weapon is the simplest imaginable: a water pistol loaded with soapy water, and a minimum degree of accurate aim. An alternate weapon would be a hand sprayer (preferably one with an adjustable nozzle), also loaded with soapy water.
The steps:
- Make sure your “gun” is loaded with enough soapy water, because you will need to hit the roach with more than one squirt. The load should preferably be of high soap concentration, or of dishwater liquid, so it can more quickly coat the roach’s protective shell and wings.
- Very carefully and slowly approach the roach, until your gun is about 1-2 feet away. Make your move slow and easy, since it will be startled by any sudden move and quickly scamper to safety.
- Make sure of your aim. Fire in rapid succession. Two to three direct hits will be enough to wet it thoroughly. The soapy water will hamper its getaway while the active ingredient in the soap seeps into its respiratory and nervous systems. The force of the squirted water may even cause it to flip over—making it easier for you to put in the final coup d’grace shot.
- The active chemical ingredient in the detergent acts quickly. The roach should be writhing violently in 30-60 seconds, and die shortly after. No icky crushed thorax, no smelly insecticide needed. You could even say you gave the poor creature the humane courtesy of a cleanup bath before ending its miserable caricature of an arthropod’s life.
I find the procedure so clinically effective, morally ethical, and spiritually satisfying. Do try it at the earliest opportunity. #
Note: This short Youtube clip also uses the same approach but with a slight variation.