Anybody have these annoying bugs in there pool. They drive me nuts. I scoop them out and new ones fly in. I get several weeks of this annoying pest every year! Anything you can do to prevent these bugs from flying in your pool?
Flying ants...
- Thread starter Bvacchiano
- Start date
- Nov 30, 2019
- 857
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,826
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I dunno how to get rid of them but they’re evil- the ones we have here bite/sting!
I direct them into the skimmer so they eventually drown in the skimmer sock. Its like a wave of them for a couple weeks.
I direct them into the skimmer so they eventually drown in the skimmer sock. Its like a wave of them for a couple weeks.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
TX bugs love TX pools. 
Especially nice clear TFP pools. 
The large beetles are coming out, scorpions, rollie-pollies, and we just had our first flying ant congregation a couple days ago. The ants swarm onto the water about 2-3 times per year where I'm at. Thank goodness for skimmer socks.
Especially nice clear TFP pools. The large beetles are coming out, scorpions, rollie-pollies, and we just had our first flying ant congregation a couple days ago. The ants swarm onto the water about 2-3 times per year where I'm at. Thank goodness for skimmer socks.
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
They're likely drone (male) ants ready to fly and mate with queens. Annoying, aren't they? About all you can do is skin your pool and direct them into the skimmer (with a sock in it). I saw two of them yesterday.
BowserB
Silver Supporter
- Jul 29, 2018
- 777
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
We went through this last year--first full season with a pool. It seems like these things are dropping out of the sky shortly after a rain storm. For example, anyone here in central to southeast Texas had a storm front blow through early this morning. This afternoon, the ants started raining. I scoop up as many as I can, but they're still falling I guess. None on the decking, so I guess those that fall on that hot concrete high-tail it to the grass, suggesting I should really put down granules all around the pool decking. Looking at them closely, it does seem that they are winged, meaning that they are queens and their consorts. From what I've read generally, flying ants are mating--a queen and one or more consorts, only the strongest of which mates with the queen (assuring that the next generation from this queen will be stronger.) A queen ant can live 30 years. An army ant queen can lay 300,000 eggs in just a few days. Millions in a lifetime. We will never have a shortage of ants.
Is there more to the ants in the pool story?
Is there more to the ants in the pool story?
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
A skimmer sock is a piece of material with an elastic band on it, that's put in the skimmer basket. It catches all the debris that comes into the skimmer, both large and small. It's an easy way to keep the water going into the pump and filter free of the big stuff. You just keep an eye on it, and when it's dirty you take it out, throw it away, and put a new one in.
You can either buy purpose made skimmer socks or buy much cheaper hair nets (those bouffant caps lunch ladies wear) and use those.
You can either buy purpose made skimmer socks or buy much cheaper hair nets (those bouffant caps lunch ladies wear) and use those.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,826
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Some folks also use the large knee highs. I just order a pack of skimmer socks on Amazon & rinse them out until they get runs . Still on my 1st pack that’s 3 yrs old. Right now with the covid the hair nets are hard to come by
