Swimming Pool Springtails: Avoiding Them All Together
For those without swimming pools, swimming pool springtails are not girls in the pool with pony tails! These are aquatic insects that like the water. Swimming pool springtails are several kinds of aquatic insects that become a pest by their presence in homes, backyards and swimming pools. Many are attracted to lights and may accidentally enter structures or fall into swimming pools, while others may actually live in neglected pools. They do not cause harm to humans, pets domestic animals, structures, possessions or crops. They will not reproduce or establish themselves indoors. Some such as the dobsonfly, backswimmer and giant water bug can inflict a painful bite if handled carelessly. People are finding swimming pool springtails in the pool and are disgusted with the number of them. Some appear to look like fleas. One solution found was to use Dawn dishwashing liquid and water and squirt them. They die instantly. The small bugs float on top of the water and some appear to hop around. Many have wings also. These black insects are almost identical to a flea and they tend to cluster around the pool pilings and start to come into the house. They are called springtails. They look like a flea, but are not as they do not bite. They show up wherever new grass is laid or where there is disruption to the ground as in digging the ground for the pool. Try a special shock for swimming pool springtails. Normal shock for your pool can attract bugs. Try using the dawn solution and not shocking for a month, but remember not to enter your pool that month. Springtails seem to like moisture. Citrus trees are not the cause of this pest. The dish liquid works because it changes the surface tension and the bugs drown. Just put a little soap spray around the edge of the pool in the morning and sometimes at mid-day , the bug population will be kept somewhat under control. If you have swimming pool springtails, which look like small black gnats on the pool surface, call your pest control company also. Have them spray the entire yard. This might be the possible cause of pests in your pool. This bug is really a pest. Many pool companies get calls all year from customers asking how to rid the pool and home from springtails. Follow the instructions your pool company gives you so you don’t mess up the filtration system of your pool. Many people look forward to relaxing in their pool on the weekend or after a long day at work in the summertime. What a headache to come home and find your pool infested with black bugs. These bugs are such a pain. They are the talk of the pool world. If only there was an easy answer to getting rid of them quickly. Many people don’t like spraying their lawn or swimming pool for springtails. You have to be careful around pets also. Try a small mesh screen around your pool for added protection against springtails. |
