Weird teeny tiny bugs and stinging/flying ant things

[rpoldervaart]

Here's a pic of the tiny worm things. This is in a small cup.

Robert

[rpoldervaart]

Could these be tiny mosquito larvae?

How do you keep mosquitos from laying eggs in a pool, and if these are larvae, how do I kill them? They don't seem to get sucked down into the skimmer. They float on top and spin around in a whirlpool, but don't actually get sucked down.

Robert

[Tredge]

I think you are correct about the larve.

Chlorine. Shock the pool if you havn't already and then shock it again

What are your numbers at?

[matt4x4]

look like mosquito larvae to me!
As for the ants, waves and splashing aren't going to kill them, ants can live under water for several days.
Since ants like water, it is hard to eliminate them, it is usually only a short time span that they are a nuisance.

[rpoldervaart]

I posted this on gardenweb too and someone suggested some sort of migratory fly eggs (maggots). I'm thinking mosquito larvae also.

My numbers
FC 3.5
CC 0
pH - new pool and SWC so pH rises quickly. I try to maintain 7.2-7.5
TA - 100
CA - 330 - this has risen from 200 over a few months
cya - ~45
water temp 85
salt 3200

[Tredge]

The larvae shouldn't hatch into worms when the chlorine is maintained at those levels.

Maybe they are mutant chlorine resistant mosquitos!!!
I'd still shock the daylights out of them.

Not sure if mosquitos still try to lay eggs in a chlorinated pool but if they do it never develops.

[matt4x4]

New Mosquito protocol forbids laying of eggs in pool, however, mosquito can't read, so protocol is not being followed.
Chlorine at 3-4 ppm does NOT make any difference on killing bugs, those pesky backswimmers sure don't seem to mind 10 ppm's, almost seems like they grow in it!
You have to shock or get some Gambusia Affinis in your pool, that should do it.
I just read something interesting, they say to use a spoon of vegetable oil in a rainbarrel to kill the mosquito larvae - theory behind this is that the larvae need to breathe and the oil will "coat' the surface of the water so their air straw cannot break through, in effect suffocating them.
I wonder if the "solar fish" availabale at pool stores will have the same effect, essentially it does what the oil does, coat the surface with a thin layer.
That could be a simple effective cure worth trying.

[yjjeeper]

Here's a pic of the tiny worm things. This is in a small cup.

Robert

I have something that looks just like this. Just showed up in my pool today. What are they and how do I get rid of them?

[rpoldervaart]

I think they are "springtail" and should be harmless, although gross if you know they're in there. We had a lot of rain this past week and the pool filled up and the drain was clogged. I had thousands of these things again. I don't know of any way to get rid of them. If they're congregating by the sides of the pool and jumping back and forth, then a mixture of 1tblspoon dawn soap with 1cup water in a sprayer will cause them to sink and drown. But from what I've read, they can come back almost as quickly as you kill them...

Robert

[yjjeeper]

Thanks for the reply Robert. I "think" they showed up after putting in a new pump and filter. It is a cartridge filter and I half wonder if the little buggers were in the filter. I shocked the pool last night to see if that will help.