Water stick insect

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

Just went for my first swim of the season. I just found two of these insects crawling around underwater on the pool wall. I looked it up and looks like what is called a water stick insect. Has anyone ever seen these before? Any treatment advisable?

 

[BoDarville]

I'll bet it got your attention. I would first try maintaining FC at the high end of the recommended range, according to your pool's CYA. If that alone doesn't do the job of repelling these critters, you can add Borates up to 50 parts-per-million (ppm).

 

[Casey]

Ummmm.... Ewwwwwwww!

 

[JVTrain]

Yeah. Eww. Maybe save a few to scare people out of the pool.

 

[ChrisL]

I think they look neat! If they don't bite, would leave them so I could enjoy watching them move around and my daughter could get creeped out.
Chris

 

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

Chris, they do look neat. I have been doing some research. They are not dangerous despite having the nickname Water Scorpion. When you fish them out with the net they play dead. I did not harm them, just put them in the grass. From what I have read a lot of people catch them and keep them in aquariums.