backswimmers, waterboatmen and Heaven knows what else

[Sundaye]

Hi Y'all, I live in North Central FL I have had these little skipper typer bugs since I have had the pool 7 years. Not many and from what I am finding on the internet they are backswimmers.

This year it looks like waterboatmen and something bigger and uglier. I want these things dead and chlorine does not do it .

Last year I let the pool go to green and set all winter , talk about a pond, now I have hundreds of all these bugs. The big one I have no clue, I first saw it on my vacuum hose and thought it was a very small turtle.

Please help me find a fast and cheap kill for these bugs....and I do mean cheap...unemployment doesn't pay anything here.

Thank you in advance

 

[257WbyMag]

Welcome to TFP!

First off, you need to ensure that your water is balanced. Correct pH, correct FC in relation to your CYA level, etc. Follow the pool school link to get the skinny on that.

There is some evidence to support that the addition of borates to your water will keep these critters at bay and may even kill them outright. You can also read about borates here and decide if it is right for you.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I would agree...try borates.

First off, welcome to the forum

If you could put your pool equipment and specs in your signature that would be helpful to those answering your questions. Go to User Control Panel, Profile, and then Edit Signature. Mine is an example of the kind of info we need.

Have you visited Pool School? There are many helpful articles there including How To add Borates, and most importantly how to turn your green swamp into a sparkling oasis

We're here to help, let us know if there are any other questions!

 

[Sundaye]

Thank you for your help. .....I tried to post my stats but couldn't figure it out ...
I ended up using Dawn dish liquid....It WORKED!!!!!!!!! Along with the backswimmers and water boatmen ( which I found were almost the same thing) I had black beetle type bugs that were extremely fast and nothing killed them. My husband was able to get one here and there with the net and within minutes of being on the ground died.
It took a few doses of Dawn to get all the backswimmers but well worth it . Had no problem with foaming or bubbles
I put water and Dawn in a 5 gal bucket (didn't measure either) and caught a few of these bugs and put them in the bucket and they died so I knew it would work. I know the ratio in the bucket was greater than 1/4 cup of Dawn to 25,000 gal. of water.
Pool is not bug free..... :-D :-D It got cloudy after adding balancing chemicals, I'm sure I need to replace the sand in the filter and when I do I will be adding DE to help it filter smaller particals, as recommended on this site. I know DE is a great thing and I should have gotten a DE filter. But sand is less work.
My pool is 27'
19500 gals
I use EZ Pool instead of chlorine
Again thank you for your help and fast responses. This is a great site.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I had to google EZ Pool. You say in your signature that you are using it "not chlorine".

This is a quote from the website about EZ Pool -

Proper water care dictates the use of a sanitizing agent. E-Z Poolâ„¢ is not registered as a sanitizer with the E.P.A. It is, however, uniquely formulated for compatibility and use with minimum amounts of traditional sanitizer. A simple and effective way to introduce a sanitizing agent in an E-Z Poolâ„¢ swimming pool is with a tablet or stick agent dissolved through the skimmer. This will also aid in maintaining a cleaner filter. Caution: Always circulate water continuously until the tablet or stick is fully dissolved. If preferred, you may also use a floater or feeder at low settings.

Do you understand that it is not AN APPROVED EPA sanitizer, and chlorine MUST BE USED. They recommend it in the form of stick or tablet (trichlor chlorine). Without chlorine you are essentially swimming in bacteria filled water.

Please read this article.

It is very likely you have the bug problem you do because of the EZ pool system.

This is a very expensive system that will end up causing you more headaches than it's worth. Have you been using it all along? I would recommend you read the articles in pool school and reconsider this decision.