I found a water boatmen in our pool...

[matt4x4]

everyone gets them, they like water, they almost make a game out of the whole catch and destroy routine.
The net works well, that's actually how I get most bugs etc. out.
They tend to live through shocking too.
My neighbour had one the size of a quarter when he opened his pool, I told him that whatever's growing in his pool, this thing obviously likes it, it was probably 10 times bigger than the ones I catch in mine.

[gonefishin]

They are such strange little creatures...and quite good swimmers! Well, I haven't seen any for a while. I've found that they're much easier to catch with the vacuum hose...but do be warned. I sucked a few up in the vacuum hose but you still need to kill this things. I've had them pinned in the strainer, under vacuum for over an hour...when I emptied the basket they start to take off...so I squashed'em! I imagine if you turned the pump off without taking them out of the pool...they'd just swim away.


Have you squashed a water bug lately?

dan

[NWMNMom]

We have had some that swim under water too but do not look like that (eyeballs/head way different) They come up every so often, then dive back down to hang on the ladder or the sides. They are black and have more of a rounder/beetle body with two legs they swim with We only get them if the cover is off at night. We keep it tight to the sides and seem to avoid having any - our 18' round softside had them terrible just below the rim of that inflated top. Just once so far this year.....hard to catch and jump if you net them, they have other legs they use when they hit the ground...

[MBeardsley]

Ew! I have them terribley. It rained last night and there seems to be more. I have fished out at least twenty of them today and as you all have said you have to squash them or they just fly back in. The pool store guy said there is a chemical that you can put in the water that pushes them to the bottom of the pool and ultimately drowns them, but he himself did not seem to be sold on it. Has anyone else heard of anything to keep them from getting in the first place. They are so ugly! Thanks in advance for any help!

[moedo]

i dont know how to get rid of them either, but i just caught 2 of them, threw them on the deck and watch after 10 min. 1 started edging toward the pool, grab the net threw it down on the ground, meanwhile i looked for the other, he's gone. i was watching the pool again, then i saw the baby, couldnt catch him, i'll wait til tomorrow to see second episode.

[poolrx]

Ew! I have them terribley. It rained last night and there seems to be more. I have fished out at least twenty of them today and as you all have said you have to squash them or they just fly back in. The pool store guy said there is a chemical that you can put in the water that pushes them to the bottom of the pool and ultimately drowns them, but he himself did not seem to be sold on it. Has anyone else heard of anything to keep them from getting in the first place. They are so ugly! Thanks in advance for any help!

I don't know how to get rid of them. I haven't heard of any chemicals, not even shocking the pool kills them. I will say that the 1st year when I was using the pool store chemicals I had quite a few of them. Since I have switched to bleach, borax, and muriatic acid(haven't needed baking soda)and I only recall having one or two of them last year and only 1 this year! Probably just a coincidence or maybe they like the neighbors pool better Only other thing I can think of is that they feed on insects. If you have a lot of insects floating around it may attract them. Everything I read says that the only way to get rid of them is to kill them

[MBeardsley]

Hey Joe! Thanks for the reply! I broke down today and bought combat 60 to kill them. We have so many, we don't even want to get in. The pool guy said that it would do the job but after reading the bottle it looks like it is to help with preventing algae. This is also our first year with the pool and our neighbor said the same thing you said about having them bad the the first year they had their pool. Anyways hope this does the job! Thanks again for your reply!
Michelle

[poolrx]

Hey Joe! Thanks for the reply! I broke down today and bought combat 60 to kill them. We have so many, we don't even want to get in. The pool guy said that it would do the job but after reading the bottle it looks like it is to help with preventing algae. This is also our first year with the pool and our neighbor said the same thing you said about having them bad the the first year they had their pool. Anyways hope this does the job! Thanks again for your reply!
Michelle

Michelle,

Would you mind posting the ingredients of the "Combat 60". I have not heard of it and couldn't find anything on Google. Wondering if it is something that reduces the surface tension of the water therefore preventing the little buggers forming the air sac that enables them to stay under so long.

Joe

[michladny]

I am FREAKING OUT as I was cleaning the pool today (as I vacuum twice a week) and this things swims by the pole UNDER the water like it is enjoying itself !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE, HATE, HATE, BUGS and I CERTAINLY do not want them sharing my pool !!!!!!! I managed to catch him and put him in a jar and he is swimming around in there....... so I have to smush him to get rid of him????? This is the first time since May 19th (when the pool was put up) that I have found something like this...... EWWWWWWWWWWW---kinda takes all of the enjoyment out of the pool for me. This thing swims on his back and has dagger like front legs/fangs and long hind legs that look like oars.

YUK YUK YUK

[michladny]

HEY...that sounds like a great idea - drain water: add bleach !!!! Maybe the entire family can swim in bleach instead of water.......
I did find this on the net last evening:

1. "I have a huge problem with the backswimmers in my pool. I have spent a few hundred dollars and a lot of time to try and get rid of them........... All you have to do is get BioGuard brand Back-Up algaecide and put the whole bottle in your pool. I just put it in an hour ago and there are at least 50 dead bugs floating at the top of my pool.............." http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/How_do_you_...mers_in_a_pool