Anyone know what these are?

[jark87]

I realize that these creatures aren’t algae, but I didn’t know where else to ask this question. Please let me know if I should post in another section.

These things have centipede-like legs (maybe they are centipedes?) and usually show up in my skimmer baskets during the winter months. This year, I kept FC in the 7-9 range all winter and didn’t notice them until the other day. With the sun starting to shine brighter and longer, my FC had dropped to 4.5 and I found a live one in the skimmer basket. I raised FC up to 7 and these guys are dead, so I’m guessing that FC in the 7+ range kills them. Either way, why are they in my pool during the winter months? Our pool is surrounded by large trees, mostly cedar elm and red oak, some of which have branches that overhang the pool. I’m in the Dallas area. Hope someone knows what these are and how to keep them out of my pool! They’ve kept us out of the spa in cold months. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[jark87]

I think I found the answer - millipedes! If you’ve never tried Google Lens, it is a great tool. Take a picture of something and it tells you what it is.

Further research (meaning Google) tells me these things are attracted to decaying material, like leaves. I cover my pool during the winter, but debris still gets in there and I just clean it up when I open in the spring. Hard to believing these things are diving to the bottom of my 10’ deep pool to find decaying leaves (almost everything collects in the deep end), but I don’t know what else causes them to be in there only in the winter. Pool is spotless during the summer.

 

[Texas Splash]

Maybe they were already on the leaves when they fell in?

 

[Katodude]

f you’ve never tried Google Lens, it is a great tool.

Love google lens. Good for identifying weeds in my grass too.

 

[jark87]

Good for identifying weeds in my grass too.

That’s exactly why I originally got it. I really gained an appreciation for it when I used it to ID this obscure Bluetooth transmitter I have connected to my stereo. I needed the instructions so I could pair it to my wife’s phone but couldn’t remember the name and of course there’s nothing on the device itself that helped. Had the PDF instructions in about 30 seconds with Google Lens.