Imagine that you are walking into your pool, and you see bugs swimming in your pool, the first thing that might come into your mind is to resolve how to get rid of bugs in your pool, and we are here to help you solve it. Well, having water bugs in your pool is one of the common dilemmas of pool owners during summer or when the weather is hot.
These water bugs are not harmful to human beings, however, who would want to swim into a pool where there are lots of bugs, probably none? So, it is best that once you see some of them floating into your pool water, to take initial action and get rid of them immediately. The procedures on how to get rid of water bugs in pool are easy, and you just have to finish reading this post to know more.
Part 1. What Kind of Bug is in My Pool?
If you are wondering how water bugs ended up in your pool, you have to blame all the microorganisms in your pool, and it might also be an indication that your pool has algae. They are the ones attracting the water bugs in your pool since these bugs feed on algae and microorganisms that are in your pool water. One thing that you have to do to avoid bugs from visiting your pool is to get rid of their food, which is algae and microorganisms. To help you easily deal with them, and for you to easily figure out how to get rid of water bugs in pool, it would be helpful to have ideas about the common water bugs.
- Water Boatmen
This one is also called Corixids, and they may look a little bit scary but they are not the worst bugs that you will have in your pool. To easily identify them, they are oval-shaped and are usually greenish-brown or brown. They have brown eyes, and would not grow more than 0.5 an inch long. They have wings and can fly if you are wondering. They eat algae, mosquito larvae, microorganisms, and a lot more. Furthermore, they can be considered beneficial; however, they are not good to see in a pool.
Well, the good thing about them is they do not bite, and they are not poisonous, and if you are going to classify them, it can be said that they belong in the group of good insects. They lay their eggs on algae, so once these eggs are hatched, their babies eat algae as well. If algae won’t be treated as soon as possible, they could grow in population. This could be other not-so-good effects of algae infestation aside from having unbalanced water chemistry and hazy or cloudy pool water.
- Back swimmers Bugs
We have another type of bug, and they are called the Back swimmer bug. These bugs are thin, long, and have a color of light to medium brown. You can notice that they have longer back legs compared to the other one, and these legs are fringed helping them easily skim across your pool water. Like the water boatmen, they have wings and are also able to fly. They would not grow larger than ½ an inch long, and they swim upside down which is why they are called backswimmers.
They are said to be predators, which means they feed on other bugs which includes water boatmen. So, this is a cycle, if you have algae in your pool, you probably have water boatmen, and when water boatmen are present, you might also have the back swimmers bugs in your pool! These bugs are not poisonous however they bite. Also, their bite feels like bee stings, and they hurt!
And there you are! Once you have checked your pool and you see some of these bugs, you have to take action. This is to make sure that your pool will still look clean on the outside and to also protect your bathers from getting bitten. Also, no one wants to swim in a pool where there are bugs, and if you have commercial pools, your business might get affected, so it would be best to immediately take action! So, how to get rid of water bugs in pool? Let us know in the next portions of the post!
Part 2. How to Get Rid of Water Bugs in Pool?
It is a wiser idea to know about these bugs! In this way, it would be easier for you or for anyone to devise a way to get rid of them, completely! As we have learned in the previous article, these bugs feed on algae, and the most effective riddance is to destroy their food supply.
Once you have decided to get rid of these bugs, it is like hitting two birds with one stone! You are fighting algae infestation, and destroying bugs as well! Once you have made sure that your pool is free from algae, this would also mean that your pool is bug-free! So, how to get rid of water bugs in pool? Let us see the procedures and measures that we have to execute, below.
1. You need to Skim Your Pool!
It is safe to say that most of the water bugs stay on the surface of your pool water. So, it would be a wise idea to remove most of the water bugs in your pool’s surface using the skimmer.
2. You also Have to do Brushing and Vacuuming.
To cut their food source, you need to brush the surfaces of your pool to make sure that algae are removed, and you also have to manually vacuum your pool! You have to get rid of all the sediments and debris from your pool!
3. Do Pool Shocking.
One of the most effective ways to get rid of algae is to perform pool shocking. Algae love heat, and to fight it, you need a strong dose of chlorine! It is recommended that if you have an average-sized pool which can be around 45,000 liters, use a dose of 20 liters of liquid chlorine or 2kgs of stabilized chlorine given that there is no excessive growth of algae. Do pool shocking at night to avoid loss of chlorine during the process when it is daytime.
Tips: If you want to know how much shock it takes to fix a green pool, click here to learn more about it.
4. Check your Filter and Make it Run.
Once you have started shocking your pool, you have to run the filter for at least 8 hours to make sure that shock is distributed evenly.
5. Check the Levels of Your Chemicals.
After you are done with pool shocking, you need to retest the chemicals in your pool. You have to check the pH, alkalinity, chlorine levels, and a lot more so that you can make all the needed adjustments to meet the required level.
6. Make Sure to Maintain and Always Monitor.
And to make sure that bugs will not be pestering your pool anymore, you have to be consistent in maintaining and monitoring the condition of your pool.
These are some of the things to do about how to get rid of water bugs in pool. There are things that you can also do to avoid the worst from happening, or to avoid bugs from coming near your pool, let us discuss them in the next part of this article.
Part 3. How To Avoid Bugs From Returning To Your Pool?
Of course, it would be better to prevent the bugs from returning to your pool no matter what! It is the best thing that you can always do. To make sure that this is possible, you just have to take note of some things, and these are:
- Always cover your pool especially when it is not in use. This will prevent algae, and bugs from sneaking into your pool water!
- Always clean your filter regularly, and check your pump for any build-up. You also have to run your pump for 6 to 8 hours a day.
- Always make sure that you are using an algaecide of excellent quality.
- Make it a habit to always clean your pool. You should skim it daily. This will help you remove algae spores that possibly entered your pool.
- Make sure to check the level of your chlorine every two days. Always log times of heavy usage or instances of heavy rainfall.
Part 4. Conclusion
At the bottom of it, it is always being responsible that will help you save your pool from any heavy infestation. It is a good thing that there are only easy procedures to follow about how to get rid of bugs in your pool, but it could be even better to fix the main reason for it, which is the presence of microorganisms and algae.
