Floor suction cleaner or just a basket?

[zippdroid]

I'm not really sure the best way to phrase this so hopefully someone can help me out without focusing on how little I know.

TLDR: Should I be using the suction cleaner year round, or are there certain times of the year I should remove the cleaner and just replace it with a basket.

I moved into a house a couple of years ago and the pool had a Zodiac Suction cleaner. I replaced a few parts and everything has been working great. Overall I'm really happy with the pool, and sticking to a maintenance plan has been easy. I'm starting to think it's time to branch out and actually learn more than just the current plan.

The pool is in a screened in cage so overall it stays pretty clean, however last May/June and again last week, we are getting some flying Ants (definitely not termites), floating on the pool. They never hit the bottom, so they just float until I clean the top of the pool.

 

[Texas Splash]

I get those swarms of ants as well. About 2-3 times per year. Creepy the way they just show-up and cling together in masses. But if everything is working well with the cleaner connected, I'd say stick with what works. The enclosure certain;y helps give the skimmer some relief. In my case in the open country, I always need skimmer help to keep my water clean.