swimming bugs in our pool
 

Can anybody help us with this problem we horrifyingly found in our pool this morning?

The pool was full of swimming bugs.....they looked like they had wings which they were using to swim with.

We scooped out as many as we could but the buggers were fast and they dove to the bottom where you couldn't see them.

When we scooped them out they jumped about like fish do out of water.

Are they dangerous to our children who use the pool ALOT right now?
Do they bite?

We have used an algicide and super-chlorinated the pool today.......will that help?

The only positive thing was we managed to feed our local dragon fly population quite well. It was fascinating to watch them scooping them off the surface!

Please help....we need rid of them!

Jackie and Steve

Re: swimming bugs in our pool
 

They are backwsimmers and/or water boatmen ... you can either go to your local pool shop and tell them you want something that kills them OR a more natural way is if your pool has a light turn it on and they will swim towards it, then you can just scoop them out with a net.

PS Backswimmers (the ones that have the wings) bite.

Re: swimming bugs in our pool
 

They also sounds like they could be daphnia (AKA water fleas). You will have to do a google for images and see if either of these suggestions look like what you have.
It does seem odd that the chemicals in your pool haven't stopped these getting in there.

Re: swimming bugs in our pool
 

Sounds like your chlorine is too low. We had them when ours was low, just gave a chlorine shock and they all vanished.

Re: swimming bugs in our pool
 

we had these 2 weeks ago - i googled them the best advice i found is

1) get a bucket of water with washing liquid in and scoop the bugs out and drop them in to - they drown --- this works remember that these bugs fly and swim just pull them out is not enough

2) boatman also bite -

3) check ph level - they can actually live in salt/chlorine water- take water to be tested tomorrow as they are feeding on alge which you can not see


4) if you can find a ph level washing up liquid then 1/4 of a cup of the stuff in your pool also kills them- apparently the amount you are adding will not affect pool water or pump and no it wont also foam up - we used this method and it killed them - like pt 1

5) make sure you turn your lights off around pool at night and put cover on -

they have invaded your pool as they are looking for alge


hope this helps

Hitch

Re: swimming bugs in our pool
 

Sounds exactly like the bugs we have here in Nova Scotia - they are called backswimmers. They swim upsides down so that's why they dive when you put the bug net near them. I have taken a few out of salt water pool and they start flipping around like fish.

We only get one or two at a time so they are not a big problem. Fun trying to catch them though............

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you..._swimming_pool