Allen writes:
> Applying soap and water is a very effective method of killing insects.  Is a surfactant not similar to a soap in its action, only very much more potent?

Reply:
Here is a description of how to use surfactants to kill bees:

> Firefighters with water trucks available can use a mist of "wet water" to knock the attacking bees out of the air (Erickson and Estes 1992). (Plain water is rapidly shed by the bees' waxy cuticle, but water with surfactant clings to their wings, preventing flight, and clogs their breathing pores.) Surfactants such as liquid dishwashing detergents, non-foaming fire control chemicals, and firefighting foams with surfactant characteristics (e.g., aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF)) are effective.

From
Fire Management Notes. published by the Forest Service of the US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

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