How to Get Rid of Water Bugs in a Pool
Water bugs in a swimming pool are difficult to kill using standard pool chemicals. You may try shocking the pool repeatedly or use a large amount of algaecide to remove their food source, but that won't work. Luckily, there is a very simple and inexpensive method for water bug removal. Water bugs must come to the surface to breathe. They stand on top of the water to do so. The following method changes the surface tension of the water so that they cannot stand on the water, and they cannot make the necessary bubbles of air to carry underwater with them. They will drown and then get taken out with the pool's filtration system.
- Water bugs in a swimming pool are difficult to kill using standard pool chemicals.
- They will drown and then get taken out with the pool's filtration system.
Put 3 tbsp. of liquid dish detergent into the spray bottle.
Fill the remainder of the spray bottle with water and mix together.
Spray your soap solution directly onto any groupings of water bugs you can find.
Spray the solution into the water along the perimeter of your pool.
Wait a few hours. The bugs will drown and get cleaned out by the pool filters. You may repeat this procedure as often as necessary. The dish soap is PH balanced and biodegrades. Small quantities will not harm your pool.
- of liquid dish detergent into the spray bottle.
- Fill the remainder of the spray bottle with water and mix together.
Prevent Water Bugs In A Swimming Pool
There are few summertime pleasures that beat time spent in the water. Surprise -- there are any number of spiders, beetles and bugs that agree. From lady bugs to caterpillars and every bee, spider, fly or bug between, most any insect can end up in your swimming pool water. All of them see your pool as a source of water. The aptly named water boatman is only about 1/4 inch long with a thin, grayish-brown body. You may almost consider boatmen beneficial, and in fact, they make excellent fish food or bait and are even a delicacy in parts of Mexico. Wiping down the pool walls will eliminate slimy algae growths. Skimming and vacuuming will gather more. After killing the food source, several steps will help keep backswimmers and water boatmen away. Using swimming pool covers, spraying invading insects with a soapy water mixture to kill them -- and in the case of bees, prevent them from bringing back a crowd -- and other tactics will help.
- There are few summertime pleasures that beat time spent in the water.
- After killing the food source, several steps will help keep backswimmers and water boatmen away.
Warning
Do not decide that if some soap is good, then more is better. Dumping the entire bottle of dish soap into the pool will not get you faster results.
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Writer Bio
Shelley Kishpaugh has written numerous articles for Demand Studios and Helium on a wide variety of topics, and she is currently writing a children's book. Kishpaugh received a B.S. in psychology from the University of Colorado and has been writing professionally since 2007.
