How to kill springtails!!!???

[Hbrod]

So, after 2 days of rain I have a zillion jumping microscopic wheat colored critters covering the pool. Perhaps the 2 mo old sod (which didn't take) is a breeding ground...or maybe the overflow exit...the deck drain is also only about 8 feet away from the pool...in any event I can't use my pool it is so gross.
How do I kill these?
I bought a silt net and will use that.
Is a little dawn really that bad?
Treating lawn...
Anything else.
Help. So.grossed.out.

 

[Hbrod]

PS they look huge in the photo but they are soooo tiny and I'm pretty sure they are springtails.

 

[Hbrod]

So, after 2 days of rain I have a zillion jumping microscopic wheat colored critters covering the pool. Perhaps the 2 mo old sod (which didn't take) is a breeding ground...or maybe the overflow exit...the deck drain is also only about 8 feet away from the pool...in any event I can't use my pool it is so gross.
How do I kill these?
I bought a silt net and will use that.
Is a little dawn really that bad?
Treating lawn...
Anything else.
Help. So.grossed.out.

And PS...water is super clear...chlorine is good... no apparent algae...

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

They'll drown in the water eventually. Dawn might accelerate the process. I've tried everything to get rid of them. Gallons of Talstar P spray and pounds of Demand G granules haven't worked for me. If this is a one time occurrence because of rain, consider yourself lucky. They say the key is to locate and kill them where they nest (moist areas around the pool), but they reproduce quickly and likely have multiple nests.

 

[Hbrod]

Ugh. Thanks. I think. So you're saying no lawn treatment helped? I have a small rock bed about 8 feet from the pool where the overflow drains...that will never dry out. Hmmm.

 

[Hbrod]

I also have deck drains about 8 feet away.
PS do you know how to edit a post?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

PS do you know how to edit a post?

If you're on a cell phone, look for 3 dots and a down arrow next to "report" at the bottom of the post.

So you're saying no lawn treatment helped?

The products I used should work. Some recommend an IGR (insect growth regulator), but I haven't found one labeled for springtails. These are the only insects I've ever dealt with that have no respect for an insecticide barrier. You can try a combo of spray and granules for best results. Research types on domyown.com. I've had no luck in the last 4 years I've dealt with them. The only thing that seems to get rid of them is dry heat.

 

[Katodude]

I have been successful with Demand CS and Nygard IGR mixed together. I put it in a backpack sprayer and basically sprayed almost the entire yard. There is also a generic for Demand CS (I think it is called Czymic). 2 applications sprayed about 10 days apart did it for me. Also killed all the ants and mosquitos which was a bonus.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Demand CS and Nygard IGR

I'll try this when they return in spring.

 

[JessM]

Been there and done that with the springtails. We came home from a three day vacation to find the entire surface of the pool COVERED in them. We are still kind of fighting them, but just a little here and there. Our pool is new this year, and we laid sod all around it. We think that's where they came from. Dawn definitely kills them, but I was worried about putting Dawn in the pool. Instead I bought a plastic tub that I fill with a little pool water and squirt two or three drops of Dawn in it. I slosh it around a little, and use a handheld fine mesh net to scoop those suckers up and dump them into the soapy water. They drown almost immediately, and the soap stops them from being able to jump out of the water. We initially had to do it every day, but in the last month we've had just small amounts of springtails to scoop and mostly then only when it rains. It takes less than five minutes to scoop them. I think we are winning. At first, though, it was horrible. We used our big net to scoop them but had to use clothespins to pin a piece of tight knit fabric in the net because the springtails are so small they fit through through the holes of the net. So I cut several pieces of fabric for the job. We clipped them into the big net and scooped lots of springtails and dropped the bug-filled fabric into the bucket of soapy water. Repeat with a new piece of fabric. When we had most of the bugs out (for the day), we'd let them soak for a bit in the soap to be sure they were all dead, then hand-washed the fabric at the hose (away from the pool) with Dawn so it would be ready for battle the next day. It took about a week of dedicated work, but we didn't have to put chemicals near our pool on our fresh sod or soap in the pool. That effort knocked them down to a much more manageable load. We NEVER ignore them. When we see them we scoop them and kill them. I'm praying the coming winter kills them so next year they aren't an issue for me and you both!

Pics of my pool with springtails when we first discovered them: Mosquito larvae (maybe springtails)

 

[cowboycasey]

I pour 1 or 2 cups of dawn (start with 1 cup) into my 15k pool.. I do it in the spring and the fall whenever anything living decides it likes my pool... It may have some bubbles for a couple days but nothing really.. Kills everything within 24 to 48 hours

 

[Hbrod]

I treated the sod and had the overflow fixed. Im always worried about them coming back. What a nightmare. I do see some here and there. Dawn didn't really work for me much but maybe I didn't use enough.

 

[Hbrod]

Been there and done that with the springtails. We came home from a three day vacation to find the entire surface of the pool COVERED in them. We are still kind of fighting them, but just a little here and there. Our pool is new this year, and we laid sod all around it. We think that's where they came from. Dawn definitely kills them, but I was worried about putting Dawn in the pool. Instead I bought a plastic tub that I fill with a little pool water and squirt two or three drops of Dawn in it. I slosh it around a little, and use a handheld fine mesh net to scoop those suckers up and dump them into the soapy water. They drown almost immediately, and the soap stops them from being able to jump out of the water. We initially had to do it every day, but in the last month we've had just small amounts of springtails to scoop and mostly then only when it rains. It takes less than five minutes to scoop them. I think we are winning. At first, though, it was horrible. We used our big net to scoop them but had to use clothespins to pin a piece of tight knit fabric in the net because the springtails are so small they fit through through the holes of the net. So I cut several pieces of fabric for the job. We clipped them into the big net and scooped lots of springtails and dropped the bug-filled fabric into the bucket of soapy water. Repeat with a new piece of fabric. When we had most of the bugs out (for the day), we'd let them soak for a bit in the soap to be sure they were all dead, then hand-washed the fabric at the hose (away from the pool) with Dawn so it would be ready for battle the next day. It took about a week of dedicated work, but we didn't have to put chemicals near our pool on our fresh sod or soap in the pool. That effort knocked them down to a much more manageable load. We NEVER ignore them. When we see them we scoop them and kill them. I'm praying the coming winter kills them so next year they aren't an issue for me and you both!

Pics of my pool with springtails when we first discovered them: Mosquito larvae (maybe springtails)

Interesting. Mine were much much much smaller. Almost invisible to the eye except like a jumping layer on the water.

 

[Diggy77]

Ugg, springtails! I was just about to inquire here about any solutions.. I'm a longtime builder and tech.. never had a customer complain to me about them. I built my first pool of my own last year and I'll be Darn if those ******** didnt show their faces.

Good luck!

 

[Hbrod]

Mine went away after a about 3 weeks. I treated the lawn with 2 doses of onslaught. I dawned the poop a few times. I got skimmer socks and changed every day. I would hose the pool and also swirl water around manually to try to drown. I also tore out the dead sod from around the pool and stopped watering it. We also extended and hopefully fixed the backing up overflow. I actually taped it from inside the pool with flex seal until we r done with the summer. Good luck!