OWWWW!!!! They bite!!!!

[NWMNMom]

I was cleaning from inside the pool tonight (the best place to be when its 95deg at 8pm) and I spyed a large Water Boatman (thumbnail sized!) shoot to the top of the water near the steps - YIKES, a bug! Our first of the year. I went in that direction and that dirty little sucker shot sideways right AT ME. I looked and looked for it thinking it stuck to the pool vac hose I was holding. Then I felt a pinch OWEEE! I lifted the edge of my tankini suit and there it was just above my navel and it bit me again!! OWEE! I grabbed it off and pinched it back. But then I was disgusted because I had just seen another one swim in my direction from the steps when I was cleaning there underwater. I dumped a whole 1/2 gal of bleach at my steps and scrubed under them, almost scared of what was going to come out at me. My FC was up there at 3ppm before the bleach dump but maybe the really warm water made them too comfortable? There is no algae blooms anywhere, even under or behind the steps but I like to bleach and clean back there just in case, especially when the water temps get that high (92F)

I did not know that they bite and HARD. It left a good sized red welt from the second bite and a smaller bite next to it from the first one. When I rinsed in the shower I found another smaller one on my shoulder behind the strap - no bite there but I'm guessing it got there when I was back of the steps? Yuck and Yikes.

 

[survey77777]

Ouch...I've yet to see one of these. I'm hoping we just don't have them here. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your latest trauma
N

 

[gonefishin]

Youch!


Last year I had a few boatmen in the pool. I would get my vacuum hose hooked up and use my daughter as the spotter. She would point them out for me (I'd always wait until she saw it) and then I'd suck it into the hose. But don't forget to pull the skimmer basket out while the pump is still running. Then dump it on the ground and stomp on all the water boatmen that fall out. If you leave them in the water and turn the pump off they'll all still be alive in your pool.

Today I had seen our first water boatmen of the year (water temp around 84f). The pool really looks great and has been as clean as a fresh fill. Then I got to thinking...my neighbor has a pool that you could almost walk across...the algae is really that thick. Could their pool be attracting them and then they fly over to my pool to take another dip in the water? Then I got to thinking that maybe I could catch more than bugs from my neighbors pool

take care...and stay away from the pincher's

dan

 

[crazycanuck]

i was just reading that water boatmen don't bite... what you probably have are backswimmers, they closely resemble waterboatmen

 

[Buggsw]

I just had to go look these up. I'm not familiar with either of them.

Apparently they look very similar, except that the back of the backswimmer is boatshaped and they swim only on their backs.
Whereas the water boatmen have flat backs and swim on their stomach.

I'm so glad I don't have lots of bugs to contend with. Most bugs, I guess are smart enough, not to live in the hot desert. LOL!

 

[NWMNMom]

Ok, then they must be backswimmers? Whatever they are, they are TOAST. I am on a mission from here on out.....the dirty B*%@ds!!

 

[Jimbo]

I fished about 3 of these out last week. Don't know which they were but they are gone now. I skimmed em out and squished em! :lol: Haven't seen any after that and don't want to after reading about them biting. I better not tell the better half or she may never want to get in the pool again.

We live about 2 miles back from a freshwater lake so I'm thinking that may be the reason I had some pass by as the water in the pool is clear and balanced thanks to the information I gathered from reading here.

 

[NWMNMom]

Unfortunately, we live right next to a swamp that is closer or farther from the edge of the yard depending on rainfall. This year, its closer. Those were the only two so far and they became Koi food after biting me!

 

[Dadof4]

I haven't seen a water bug since I added 20 Mule Team to between 50 and 80 ppm of sodium tetraborate. Pool has never looked better, and algae blumes seem to be a thing of the past. No regrets with 20 Mule Team.

The family has even noticed a nice feel to the water.

 

[Michael Silvester]

Hi NWMNMom,

These little bugs feed on algae.

That's the only reason they are in your
pool...because It's a food source for them.

Although you might think that there is no
algae in the pool..there always is. Even when
you cant see it! There is actually over 1 million
algae spores in a glass of water. They are just too
small to see.

These little fellas can be a little tough! I found
the only way to get rid of these guys is to dose
your pool up with an algaecide and shock the pool
every week. Dont forget to brush the walls, floor and
steps. This will release any clinging algae into
the water to be hit from all sides instead of just the
exposed half.

Once you get rid of the algae...they will fly away
because there is nothing to snack on

Take Care,

Michael Silvester

 

[colormesummer]

we've gotten some little dumb bugs in our pool too..but i think they've disappeared with just the chlorine..they look like miniature black ladybugs & they bite..i absolutely hate em

 

[NWMNMom]

We had only that one instance this year which had been right after a storm dumped Crud in there from the trees. I suppose the leaves, etc., gave it enough to grow algae even if just for that couple days. I always super shock after storms so that took care of the issue - no more bugs. Wish a shock treatment could stop the horseflies too!

 

[Tex Arcana]

We've had alot of rain here lately (DFW area, Texas), and i've been fighting everything from crawfish in the pool (the yard is the lowest in the area, and the water table is very high, and they will migrate during a heavy rain or at night) to caterpillars, crickets, a gecko, and a bunch of water boatmen.

Of course, the water boatmen and the crawdads were the only things alive.

I've also been fighting what looks like a tan slime on the walls and bottom, that I can't seem to get rid of; I suspect it's because I can't seem to keep the chlorine levels high enough--if the water boatmen can survive and thrive, that might be an indication that the levels aren't high enough. I'm not 100% sure, tho.

As far as biting: I'm not sure, but in talking to my wife and her friend who used the pool last, it's not really a "bite" but their legs when they grab on; I know there are some varieties that are carnivorous, and others that are not, so it depends on which one has that might or might not bite.

 

[thumper224]

Ok, I am almost sure that the bugs that are biting me in my new pool are water boatmen. I have a salt water pool that is about 4 weeks old. I don't want to sound rude but I don't need to hear other people's experiences (really, I don't want to be rude). All I want to know is how do I get rid of these things. Is my algea high? Is my pool too warm (90)? I am desperate to never have this problem again. Is there a product to rid these bugs? It is very discouraging to me that I have spent over $50,000 and this could be an ongoing problem.

 

[Dadof4]

Sodium tetraborate.