Insects

[avidone1]

The weather here is very hot and muggy.
This morning I noticed pods of insects floating in my pool.
they look like flying ants. This has happened in past summers.
They will appear daily for a couple of weeks. the local pool store says there is nothing that can be done.
But I was hoping someone here can help...they are easily skimmed, but they are gross.
thanks.

 

[avidone1]

OH, sorry,
MY pool chemistry is
FC - 10
cc - 0
TA ----80
CH-----350
PH-----7.6
CYA----70

thanks again.

 

[lborne]

I'm in the treasure coast too. Best bet is getting a screen enclosure. However, you might want to try an electric or propane insect fogger which might keep swarms away for an hour or two after application.

When we were starting our pool build a couple years ago we were on the fence as to the screen because its expensive and not real pretty. We were at friends house eating out by their non screened pool and were all planning to jump in after lunch. A swarm of those flying ants came and drove us back into the house and they filled the pool. They stayed for hours, crawling all over the furniture and deck and water surface. It helped us make our decision to get a screen.

 

[avidone1]

I have a screened in lanai. It's pretty good at keeping most insects out, but not these...there were some areas where the screen pulled away from the corners, but that was fixed last year. There are gaps under the doors leading to the yard, but due to the concrete being poured unevenly there really isn't much I can do about it. (I've tried)
I was wondering if there isn't a chemical solution.
thanks for the relply

 

[RobbieH]

Since I went with 50ppm borates, I don't have insects using my water like they used to. Anyone else that's done the borate treatment have this experience?

 

[BBailey]

recently discussed :-D http://www.troublefreepool.com/flying-red-ants-and-biting-water-bugs-help-t7842.html

 

[RobbieH]

Very cool, there's one person there that's had the same experience I did.

 

[goldfish]

Hi - I just joined today, after Googling for 'ants in pool' and finding this forum.

This morning, there were 5 or 6 'islands' of ants floating on the surface of my inground pool. They were alive, and it looked as if the ants on the outside would climb up the island to the middle, causing the 'outsiders' to then climb up as well - creating the grossest clump of living ants I've ever seen. I didn't want to scoop them out with the net, and throw them in the yard, or they still be alive and making new homes. So, I turned on the filter for the day, and presumed they'd all be dead on the bottom when I got home from work.

Not so! There wasn't any sign of them. So what the heck happened? Massive ant swim party just for one day? Ant suicide, and they're in my sand filter?

Has anyone heard of this issue? I live in Ohio, so they're not fire ants. They had no wings, so they're not flying ants or termites. They were the very common little tiny dark reddish brown ants you see everywhere....

Thank you!

 

[Bama Rambler]

They're most likely in the filter. What you saw was a very common occurance. They will drown but it takes a long time so what they do is keep changing places with the ones in the water so none of them drown. The mound most likely floated to the skimmer and got sucked in. Either that or they floated to one side and crawled out.

 

[goldfish]

Thanks Dave J. I didn't give the ants a second thought, figuring they did indeed climb out and go about their business. Until they appeared again yesterday!! 7 or 8 islands this time. I want to scoop 'em out, and kill 'em. However - that would gross me out.
I wish we knew an ant-scientist that could explain WHY they all decide to go for a swim, like lemmings.

I will say that pool care has been very easy so far this summer. The water in my 22K-gallon inground pool has been super clear using only 2 one-pound bags of HTH Shock-n-swim each week, and keeping a 3 inch tablet in the skimmer basket.

 

[RobbieH]

You might want to read through pool school, you risk elevating your CYA levels to a point where your chlorine will not be effective, causing you to need to drain and refill a portion of your pool water.