Our intention is not to kill. We try our best to bring the least harm to all living creatures. We can avoid using harmful pesticides by using organic/natural ones that do not kill the creatures. For example, fresh pandan (pandanus) leaves are good for keeping cockroaches away without killing them. We also need to be aware of actions that may invite pests into our house. Some people have the habit of leaving dishes and cutlery in the basin after meals. Some wash the dishes only when there are no more clean plates and spoons in the cupboard. This will certainly invite ants and cockroaches into their homes. When their house is infected with ants and cockroaches, they start spraying pesticides. We need to be mindful and responsible for our actions. If we make an effort to keep our environment clean and dry, and keeping food out of reach, it will certainly reduce the incidence of pests. At other times when it is unavoidable, we just need to be patient and tolerant. With mindfulness and perseverance, we can do our best to minimise harm to living creatures. Refer to Appendix 1 (p87) for tips on how to keep insects away without killing them.
I find it hard to agree with you. I have used (ground) pandan, and cockroaches are indeed averse to it. But since I live in an apartment block, I suppose they just go to my neighbours, and get killed there. My partner owns a café/bar and is obliged by law to keep it free of “pests”. The public health authorities are not “patient and tolerant”, and it may be to our advantage that they are not. In any case, we just have to (to use a horrible American expression) “suck up” the bad karma. If you want to be the purest of pure, then as a monk I support you, but the rest of us have to make compromises. ¡Maybe next life!