[likpok]

There’s lots of chemicals that are extremely lethal to pests with apparently limited ability to develop resistance. There’re no bleach resistant bacteria, for example, and no fire-resistant moths.

Surfactants attack the waxy layer that insects use to breathe, they’ve been very effective at killing them for a long time. The classic fruit fly trap of soap in vinegar uses this effect.

There’s a lot of soaps with a long history of being used in the environment, but like they do have a mechanical effect. Probably not great to douse plants with them.

The biggest challenge I see is they’re not really persistent like permethrin — you need to spray the mosquitoes with the surfactant. That limits application as people will complain about like a fogger truck that makes them a little soapy.

[hinkley]

Surfactants can drown bugs as well, sink any bug that walks on water, and remove the protective mucus from fish scales, which is often a problem with tank fish.

[dundermuffl1n]

Bleach is not a surfactant.

[Tagbert]

No, but the soaps and detergents they were talking about ARE surfactants.

[hinkley]

If I had a dollar for every time people forget what the GP or OP were talking about in the middle of a thread, I’d be rich.

[hackernewds]

But bleach is not safe for humans either. Other examples such as bleach: heavy weights, bullets, fire, acid

[copperx]

I think there are bacteria that can withstand acid.

[Ekaros]

Extremophiles is a fascinating classification of organisms. Basically think almost any environment where you wouldn't survive and there is something living there... Ofc, in reasonable limits like not plasma, but at extremes for sure.