Identify swimming bug?

JaySav

Bronze Supporter
Mar 24, 2019
195
Memphis, TN
Pool Size
33000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I’ve been removing these bugs all winter long and just can’t get rid of them. Now that summer is coming I want to get them out for good. What kind of bug is it and can I get them out of the pool permanently. They swim really good and when I take them out the seem to be able to fly also. I’ve tried bringing the pool to SLAM level but that didn’t seem to phase them.
 

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Could be a backswimmer or waterboatman. I've seen them congregate on 3" chlorine tabs so chlorine seems to have no effect. They will grab an air bubble and keep it with them to breathe. If you get them out of the water you have to step on them of they dry out and fly back into the water. The larger ones will bite.
There is a product called "Bug Out" that works to reduce the surface tension of water so that they can't do that. Seems to work well.
There is also this site:
 
These bugs eat bugs that eat algae. If your pool is clear, they don't stick around. You can try a little dish soap to break the surface tension. They will drown.
Ya pool is very clear, no algae that I know of. I haven’t seen them in the 3 years we’ve owned the house until last fall. I’ve cleared quite a bit out of the pool, I had a 5 gallon bucket with soapy water I drowned them in during the winter. Got a lot of them out. There isn’t many now, I can probably find 5-10 if I went around the whole pool looking for them. That day I drowned them I probably pulled 50-75 out. All my levels are good, just tested the water today.
 
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