The present invention about using chemicals to interfere with the ability of certain arthropods to shield themselves from their external environment. It teaches to apply chemicals to a specialized portions of the arthropod's body that maintain a gaseous envelope that encoats, protects and extends from the arthropod's skin and, if present, breathing hole. This chemical application causes a failure of this protective envelope, making the arthropod vulnerable its external environment such as to pesticides and can also lead to problems with its ability to breathe.