Hundreds of Tiny as a pin point wheat color bugs on pool surface that bite or itch u

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AmyBarton

AmyBarton

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Jun 3, 2017
17
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Tiny as a pin point bugs the color of wheat and then some black seems to be on the surface of the water. There are probably millions of them seriously. They are too small and go right through net. They either bite us or are just making us itch so much we haven't got into the pool. I have shocked the pool and also used an algea preventative called Back Up 2 by Bioguard. But that hasn't helped My pool is sparkling clear too. Brand new liner this year so new water. I can't seem to figure out how to get rid of them. Help!IMG_5762.jpg I zoomed in on these bugs as you can seem them hardly with the eye they just look like specks of dust.
 
They have a body shape similar to an insect called a thrip. I have no doubt about the painful bite. Population explosions in insects are usually short lived, but it seems like different insects take turns different times of year. At my house, we have Asian Lady Beetles first, flying ants next and plenty of June bugs. Skimming them off like
Kimkats suggested will be fastest. You make want to have a bucket of slightly soapy water to dunk your net in to drown the thrips. Otherwise, they may just fly back into your pool.
 
I second the thrips suggestion; that is what they look like - if so, they are transient, so a few weeks and they'll be gone, but sometimes come back after hard rain. There are some suggestions here: Pool bugs - Forum - Bob Vila. They also look kind of like springtails. Do you see them "jumping" a lot on the surface of the water? Springtails do not last long in chlorinated water though, and will get filtered out. Thrips have a nice little sting of a bite.

I'm not sure if DE will help, since sand should be able to filter them out. More likely they just aren't getting moved to the skimmer. Many times they congregate on walls of the pool, and on things like ladders and stairs. Borates suggestion could help; many insects avoid pools using borates, but the evidence is anecdotal. Not sure if these little bugs would be so deterred though.
 
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