I got bugs!

[smcurry83]

Did some searching with varied results. Didn't come across anything with pictures so I'm not sure if these are the same bugs I read about in previous threads.

Last night when I got home from work I thought my pool was covered in a layer of pollen, but quickly realized it was all moving. The tile above the water line is covered, the skimmer baskets are full, and the water surface is alive with millions of these little things. Any idea what I'm dealing with?

Pool bugs - YouTube

 

[Texas Splash]

Not sure about that particular species of insect, but for the past 2 days my water surface and the skimmer net have been covered in flying ants. They seem to migrate once or twice a year, and when they do, it's like a blanket in the skimmer. Also big lumps in the water where they congregate and hang on to each other like Jack holding the door at the end of Titanic. It goes on for about a day or two then they're gone. Crazy.

 

[FnC80]

We just installed our pool last fall, and this spring we have been assaulted by tons of the flying ants as well. With some research, they are fire ants spreading out to colonize new areas, fun huh? They are most prevalent after a bit of rain. One of the minor joys about living in Texas they don’t tell you in the brochures before you move here.

To the OP, do they accumulate during the day or night? You could try not tiring your pool light on if the latter. I’d guess it’s just a hatch or swarm and should pass, but no less disgusting or frustrating to clean.

 

[smcurry83]

I work from 12pm - 10pm. They weren't there before I left for work yesterday, but were in full force when I got home. This morning was even worse. Pool lights weren't on at all yesterday or last night.

 

[Susiejax]

I have an infestation of weevils. I don't see them anywhere else except in the pool. They have sticky legs that allow them to hang on to my skimmer basket and leaf net. aaarrrrggggghhhh I hope they move on soon.

 

[SummerTimeGirl]

Yup. We've been getting tons of the flying ants at night in our pool/skimmer basket too. Today there didn't seem to be as many as the day before. Hopefully that means they'll be gone soon. For the past week there have also been LOTS of beetles as well but they too seem to be lessening. Thank goodness! LOL

 

[Texas Splash]

 

[SummerTimeGirl]

OMG, yes!!!! LOL The first Summer we moved into our house I was standing in our kitchen and looking out into the pool from the sliding glass doors. There was a pool noodle floating in the pool and I saw something dark on the end of it. I was like, WTH is that? Go out and look and it was a huge a** spider!!!!! So big it took up the entire bottom/end of the pool noodle. NEVER in my life had I seen a spider that large. Not in the wild anyway. I didn't know we got spiders that big in PA. My parents had been visiting that weekend. I screamed so loud and was carrying on so bad that my husband and father come to the door to see what was happening? I said, there is a HUGE spider on the pool noodle, kill it!! They of course look at each other and laugh at me knowing that usually my idea of a HUGE spider is actually something about half the size of my pinky nail. LOL But when they came over and saw it they changed their mind real quick. HAHAHA I NEVER want to see anything like that again!!

 

[Nitramnayr]

Did some searching with varied results. Didn't come across anything with pictures so I'm not sure if these are the same bugs I read about in previous threads.

Last night when I got home from work I thought my pool was covered in a layer of pollen, but quickly realized it was all moving. The tile above the water line is covered, the skimmer baskets are full, and the water surface is alive with millions of these little things. Any idea what I'm dealing with?

Pool bugs - YouTube

I think we’ve got the same issue- looked like soot or ash at first. Then I saw them moving/crawling so I’m guessing it’s a seasonal thing. Our PB said they are little organisms...

We are in Houston and here’s a photo:

 

[obryan2579]

I have lots of creepys and crawlys always falling into my pool also. Does that effect chlorine levels?

 

[mclifford]

I can't believe nobody noticed the chlorine pucks in the picture.

 

[smcurry83]

So this mess started two nights ago and looked the worst yesterday morning. By the time I got home yesterday around 8:30pm, the only thing floating in the pool was pollen. There was a lot of those bugs stuck in the skimmer, but that was it. Crisis averted!