On the other hand, when I lived in Arizona, the first few times I killed scorpions involved a lot of screaming and spraying of toxins. After a while I got so accustomed to them I was willing to smash them with thick newspapers. I even left one particularly perfect flat scorpion on one of the walls for a while. When I mentioned it to a coworker, he said, "Sure. I do that too. If the place smells like dead scorpion, maybe the other scorpions won't want to come around anymore."

Tep, those guys are asshats.

My typical response to people like that is something along the lines of: "you breathe air, right? The same air that poor, useless, jobless people breathe? You really want to die of some easily treatable plague because the poor, useless, unemployed drunks can't afford to go to the doctor before they spread it to the rest of the city?"

It doesn't change their minds or make them reasonable, but it usually makes them shake their heads and go somewhere else instead of engaging with/annoying me further.

You should have. really tested that private coverage. But occasionally I am callous and strange. (hopefully in the service of a good cause.)

I love erika so much!

After a while I got so accustomed to them I was willing to smash them with thick newspapers.

Waterbugs won't DIE from that!

They're amazingly resilient. I've stamped on them and had them rush towards me. My terror is not for nothing.

The boyfriend used to use his army boots. Um, marine boots? He'd remove and whack with the heel -- two or three times! He said he's mastered the technique in military baracks all over the world.

Sometimes there'd be commentary "Oh, these are unusual in this part of country" ::WHACK:: "In Kuwait there are these huge bugs that sometimes when you kill them a thousand little parasites or babies come out." ::WHACK WHACK:: "You're better off leaving those guys alone" ::flushflushflush::

Waterbugs won't DIE from that!

Well, yeah, their carapaces are thicker than those of scorpions. But a military boot to the wall of the trailer I used to live in would have gone right through the paneling and probably the outside siding, too. Different weapons for different enemies. How would a hammer and an old magazine work on the waterbugs? We are talking about those nasty-ass giant roaches, right?

Thanks, Cash. and you know if that happened, Tep would turn to three big brown guys.

I find that spraying enough of anything will kill most things. When I haven't had any bug spray handy, I've killed bugs with Lysol, Clorox Clean-Up spray, and hair spray (not all at the same time). Make sure to chant, "Die, die, die," if you try this route, because I think that's part of the spell.

How would a hammer and an old magazine work on the waterbugs? We are talking about those nasty-ass giant roaches, right?

Oooh! Hammer and old magazine! Magazine for containment, hammer for death blow! You're a genius. I might be able to work with that. Excellent, Smithers!!!! ::tents fingers::

Yes, giant roaches. Did you know they FUCKING FLY?!?!? That's what prompted the sister calling hysterics. (Until the ariel assault it was plain old hand-flapping and shrieking).

I had no idea scorpions were so fragile!

The only time I have ever stepped on a roach of my own free will was the one I brushed off of Dylan's foot when he was about 6 months old. And even that wasn't so much "free will" as sheer mama-bear PROTECT THE BAYBEEEEEEE instinct. Pure lizard brain, no higher consciousness involved.

Otherwise I call DH to kill them while I hide quietly in whichever room is farthest away from the terrifying many-legged creature.

Yes, giant roaches. Did you know they FUCKING FLY?!?!? That's what prompted the sister calling hysterics. (Until the ariel assault it was plain old hand-flapping and shrieking).

Palmetto bugs. I remember when I first encountered roaches outside of Florida, I laughed because they were so teeny and wee compared to what I was used to.