Household pests

My household pests have been annoying me lately.  Maybe it's because I keep my apartment cold, but they just don't flee in terror the way I think they should.  There's no running and hiding from the thunderous sound of my huge footsteps, no terrified flight as my shadow looms over them.  They just sort of sit there and stare with what I imagine are vacant little buggy expressions, saying, "Durrrrrrr," in their little buggy language. 

Are they too cold to fire on all cylinders?  Would it kill them to ACT scared and give me a little gratification by scurrying away so I don't have to look at them and try to actively avoid stepping on them because they aren't running away like good, sane little bugs ought to do?

Maybe they know I'm highly unlikely to kill them.  Maybe they're lounging around like street punks, confident and brazen, insulting me and my weakness against things with too many legs that stain the carpet when I kill them. 

I hate it when the carpet gets nasty because then I have to keep track of what spots are off-limits, and when you only have 385 square feet (- all the bookshelves, cabinetry, love seat, tables, etc.) to sit on, this can become annoying quickly.  So I let them run rampant, and they act as if they own the place.  Sheesh.

Any suggestions?