Microscopic bugs in pool

[greenpool2021]

I opened the pool a few weeks ago and have been maintaining all of the chemistry. But -- yesterday when I got in, there were these microscopic bugs that started crawling up my stomach and arms. New year, new problem. They are not like anything that shows up in Google when I type in bugs in pool.

They are microscopic - 1mm, thin, they wiggle, and move quite quickly crawling up toward my shoulders. They're brown mostly, some are tannish. They bite, but I don't think they leave lasting marks.

What are they and how do I get rid of them?

For reference:
Chlorine: 4ppm
PH: 7.5
Hardness: 220
Alkalinity: 90
CYA: 25 (adding some)

Edited to add that it's an above ground pool.

 

[Strawberryshortcake]

I think we'll need a bit more description of the bugs. What shape do they have?
Do they look like this?

https://kentuckypestnews.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/thrips-fig-2.jpg

 

[Newdude]

Hey GP !!! Pics are gonna say 1000 words here.

 

[greenpool2021]

I think we'll need a bit more description of the bugs. What shape do they have?
Do they look like this?

https://kentuckypestnews.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/thrips-fig-2.jpg

They are smaller than that and most are darker. I haven't seen any accumulate on the sides of the pool (above ground).

I've been looking into thrips, but they don't look segmented or have wings. But they are tiny.

 

[greenpool2021]

Hey GP !!! Pics are gonna say 1000 words here.

It would have to wait until there's light tomorrow!

 

[greenpool2021]

They look like tiny little less than 1mm lines, no discernible features.

 

[Strawberryshortcake]

Perhaps Springtails?

Whatever they are I imagine a mini slam with a pool sock on your skimmer would get rid of them?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Perhaps Springtails?

This was my first thought. The description is consistent with springtails. But, springtails don't bite and don't fly, so I think they'd have a difficult time getting into an above ground pool.

A slam might kill them, but it won't keep them from diving into the pool. I've been dealing with springtails for the last 3 years and have had little luck in getting rid of them.

 

[Strawberryshortcake]

Well, dang, if not either of those I haven’t got a clue. As mentioned, a photo might help. But, I’m not sure you could get close enough to show us anything besides color. A quick drawing of what you see might be even better.

Is there a tree above your pool? Could they perhaps have fallen in, since they are wingless?

I wish I could help more but the smallest thing I deal with are spiders… lots and lots of spiders…

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

lots and lots of spiders

 

[Strawberryshortcake]

Yeah. I told my husband i’m not touching the skimmer for the rest of the summer. I backwashed the pool and then went to empty the skimmer, and when I popped the lid off there was about 6 spiders (mostly huge), and they were extremely agitated from being swirled around during the backwash…

That’s bad enough but they’re always along the edges too. I will rarely swim in the late evening or st night because I’d likely drown myself if they got on me (they’re way more around at night.)

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I'll take the springtails over spiders.

 

[greenpool2021]

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow. They don't look like what Google shows me for springtails.

They don't have any visible legs or heads. Just teeny tiny very very thin lines. But they wiggle and crawl. I'd say it was a larvae if it didn't move relatively quickly.

There are trees above the pool (I wish the people who put the pool in put it elsewhere) and it did rain quite a bit.

 

[momalley]

Midge larva maybe?

 

[greenpool2021]

It has been too cold to get in the pool, but my friends were still there. Now with photos.

I skimmed as many as I could off the top of the pool yesterday and then brought the chlorine levels to 25. Do they need to be higher? Is there anything else I can do?

What are these???

 

[Strawberryshortcake]

I'm no bug expert but I'm still going to guess Thirps. They bite, some (most) are wingless, they vary in color from light tan to brown, they have that skinny tubular shape, are tiny, and they seem common to get in pools.
If I trace in photoshop this is the shape I get.. I see 3 sections, large black eyes, antenna and legs but those are so tiny it's hard to make them out.

"Thrips are small: “0.5-14 mm (typically 1-2 mm, NA species under 5 mm)” and they are described as: “Some are wingless; where present, the wings are narrow with few or no veins and fringed with long hairs. Mouthparts asymmetrical (no right mandible), suitable for piercing and sucking. Antennae relatively short, 4- to 9-segmented; tarsi 1-2-segmented, with 1-2 claws and are bladder-like at the end.” Thrips can often be found on flowers, they are especially visible on light colored flowers like daisies. Be aware that though they are very tiny, they can give a slightly painful bite.”"

Other info I can find: they are accidently in your pool and most likely are coming from the area around your pool. Do you have plants around the pool or close by? See if you can find them on there. They seem to use the mouth to wiggle around and bite to check if you are a plant or not, but the bite is not harmful.
If its NOT thirps im interested to know what it is because I can't find anything else that looks similar

 

[greenpool2021]

Yeah... they could be thrips.

We have no plants NEAR our pool, but have trees a few yards away. Our neighbor had a lawn company out right before this infestation started and they leafblew a TON of Crud over the fence and into our pool.

How long do thrips live? These have been chilling in the pool for 2 weeks.

Edit: the reason I mention trees is we do get debris from them, in particular if it's really windy or there's a storm.

 

[greenpool2021]

Any ideas for how long to keep chlorine levels up and whether 25ppm is fine?

 

[greenpool2021]

Quick update: added a sock-like contraption to the skimmer. We'll see how many I catch overnight and if they're still wiggling.

 

[Oly]

The tan insects are thrips. I get huge numbers in my pool in the spring. They sink to the bottom and wind up in one or two brown algae like piles on the bottom. I have used a long 1/2" PVC pipe to suction them out (thumb over topside end until over pile then release trapped air until water fills pipe then cap with thumb and discard). You can verify with a 10X hand lens. A bot cleaner easily gets them off the bottom.
Thrips do cycle out and are voracious predators of even smaller spider mites Spider Mites: Webspinning Pest Insects that can defoliate sensitive plants. A hair net will trap them at the skimmer and keep them out of your filter.