Black Bug - What is it?

[jhirsch1]

Hi,

I've noticed these very small black bugs floating in the water. Any idea what kind they are? What caused them to like my pool, and more importantly, how do i get rid of them?

I do have a solar cover which I think is not helping, but the cover is off each day while the kids are swimming.

[attachment=0:1scd1sb0]DSC_4353a.jpg[/attachment:1scd1sb0]

 

[jhirsch1]

This may be a better picture ( i am having a hard time get a picture that is focused)

[attachment=0:1uflry6b]DSC_4358a.jpg[/attachment:1uflry6b]

 

[pepsiholic]

I can't tell you what they are, but i had them last year when I was still using baquacil. They used to just swirl around the skimmer and stick to the vinyl liner right at the waterline. Since my conversion to bleach this spring and adding borates to the pool I have not seen a single one.

 

[jhirsch1]

Same with me. They swirl around the skimmer and stick to the side. I have a salt water chlorinator and never had this problem before this year. I have been keeping the chlorine level a little lower this year. 2.5 - 3.0 instead of around 4.0 last year. My stablizer is about 50 and PH is 7.5. I did increase the alkalinity yesterday from 60 to 100, but I had this problem for the last few week.

I may try to increase the FC level. The pool has been crystal clear with no combined chlorine but maybe increasing the chlorine will help.

 

[jhirsch1]

Ok, due to lack of any better direction I decided to do the following things -

1) keep the solar cover off for a while
2) shock the pool (even though I don't think it needs it) hoping that increased chlorine will kill the bugs that are happily swimming around.
3) I will backwash the filter in the morning

Then I will wait and see. I hope it works.

 

[davisito45]

I am not sure but I think they are called Springtails...check this out http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/pest-control/how-to-get-rid-of-springtails/

I had some of these pests in my pool as well. My landscaping has some grass so I am guessing this is where they came from but I am not sure.

Ever since I sprayed some insecticide on my lawn I have noticed they have reduced in numbers.

Good luck!

 

[jhirsch1]

Thanks, they may be the springtails. It's hard to tell even with the pictures. I do know that standing pool water is what they like (between the solar cover and the pool wall). The morning after the solar cover was removed they were almost all gone, I assume they are in the filter. I went away for a few days, I hope when I get home they are all gone.

I have a solar cover last year and didn't have this problem, so there must be something else going on. I may take a sample to the local pool store to see their thoughts.

 

[jeffcessna]

I have these bugs in my pool and had them last year also. Im not sure what they are (look like tiny little wasps) but there are a lot of them. I keep my FC up around 7 so im not sure that shocking will do anything. I am trying something tonight that i havent done before....im leaving the bug zapper on all night so as to hopefully bring those bugs to the light instead of the pool water. If I remember correctly, they were only there for a couple of weeks last year and then they were just gone. So I imagine I will just skim and vacuum until they are gone.

 

[jhirsch1]

hear these maybe due to freshly dug dirt or mulch (for which I have both). I heard there is something you can put in the pool that will not allow them to float or get out of the water, which will eventually kill them. I have much less bugs after 4 days with the solar cover off, but they are still there.

 

[jhirsch1]

I am going to try adding borates today. Currently at 10 and going to move to 50ppm. From what I have been reading I think this may help

 

[pepsiholic]

Come to think of it, I added borates after my conversion, and I haven't seen them little critters this year. I was thinking maybe it was the switch to chlorine, but you're right, it is probably the borates.

 

[jhirsch1]

Well, borates didn't fix it. If I don't take of the solar cover each day when the filter is running they just keep multiplying. I'm not sure what the next move is.....

 

[scoreboard]

I thought I'd give this thread a bump since I seem to have a few of these critters lurking on my tiles.

They move around the pool to avoid the sun and stay on the waterline at the tiles. Don't really see them at all in open water.

Everything I've read just says to skim them out and not to worry. For me they're unsightly and I want them gone. I skim frequently followed by scrubbing the tile but they eventually come back in a couple of hours.

Any ideas?

 

[jhirsch1]

I think you can add something to the pool to reduce the surface tention of the water....they then sink and drown.

 

[jmborchers]

Juvenile mosquitoes?

 

[scoreboard]

The pool chemistry is really good and there is plenty of circulation. Wouldn't that be enough to rule out mosquitoes?

After I skimmed out the last batch on Sunday afternoon, I scrubbed the tile really well with just a hand brush. That seemed to keep them away today, but that's just one day in a row.