How To Keep Bugs Out Of Your Pool
Forget Christmas - 'tis the season for bugs, mosquitoes, flies and other insects. Summer has arrived which means they'll be invading your lives, homes and swimming pools. What's usually an oasis of enjoyment may soon become the biggest attraction in your neighbourhood for bugs. These pesky mites are drawn to even the tiniest collection of algae, plant matter and microorganisms.
Types of bugs found in a pool
Water boatmen and backswimmers spell double trouble because they can fly and swim and also have wings. They would love to make your swimming pool their permanent home.
Water boatmen are harmless and swim on their backs facing up. They are omnivorous – eat vegetation and animals – anything from algae, vegetation, and mosquito larva to aquatic invertebrates and even tadpoles.
Backswimmers inject saliva containing special enzymes into their prey before eating it. It means they can also deliver a painful stinging bite to humans.
Water bugs can lay eggs at an alarming rate. One water bug can lay 150 eggs in a year feeding off algae and microorganisms.
Algae free = insect free
If your pool is correctly chemically balanced and you have an effective filtration system, it will deter bugs. Bugs stay on the surface of the water. The tried and tested method of scooping them out with a net is time-consuming but effective. Dead bugs have a habit of attracting more bugs!
It’s always worth paying greater attention to brushing your pool and scrubbing down the sides to remove algae spots and collections of sediment. A good vacuum will suck up organic debris that makes bugs thrive.
Algae multiply in the heat, so for a heavy build-up, shock the pool or give it an algaecide treatment. A regular maintenance regime will break the cycle that causes these algae outbreaks.
Reduce plants around the pool
Let there be (no) light
Bugs are attracted to bright, white lights, so keep them as dim as possible and if you can, turn your patio or pool lights off at night. LED bulbs are better than UV at reducing the insect population.
Interestingly, scientists have revealed that yellow lights can deter bugs, so a yellow shade of LED lights around your pool is preferable to white.
Keep your pool patio clean
Greasy barbeque grills, empty cans and bird feeders are enticing to bugs on the hunt for food, so keep them at a distance from your pool. Keep composters containing fruit, vegetable scraps, grass clippings and flowers away from your swimming pool.
Summer may be the time for bugs, but it’s also when a pool will come into its own. If you’re thinking of buying one, why not investigate those made by Factory Pools Perth? All are sold with a lifetime structural and surface guarantee and are made locally in Forrestdale, WA.
How To Keep Bugs Out Of Your Pool
Forget Christmas - 'tis the season for bugs, mosquitoes, flies and other insects. Summer has arrived which means they'll be invading your lives, homes and swimming pools. What's usually an oasis of enjoyment may soon become the biggest attraction in your neighbourhood for bugs. These pesky mites are drawn to even the tiniest collection of algae, plant matter and microorganisms.
Types of bugs found in a pool
Water boatmen and backswimmers spell double trouble because they can fly and swim and also have wings. They would love to make your swimming pool their permanent home.
Water boatmen are harmless and swim on their backs facing up. They are omnivorous – eat vegetation and animals – anything from algae, vegetation, and mosquito larva to aquatic invertebrates and even tadpoles.
Backswimmers inject saliva containing special enzymes into their prey before eating it. It means they can also deliver a painful stinging bite to humans.
Water bugs can lay eggs at an alarming rate. One water bug can lay 150 eggs in a year feeding off algae and microorganisms.
Algae free = insect free
If your pool is correctly chemically balanced and you have an effective filtration system, it will deter bugs. Bugs stay on the surface of the water. The tried and tested method of scooping them out with a net is time-consuming but effective. Dead bugs have a habit of attracting more bugs!
It’s always worth paying greater attention to brushing your pool and scrubbing down the sides to remove algae spots and collections of sediment. A good vacuum will suck up organic debris that makes bugs thrive.
Algae multiply in the heat, so for a heavy build-up, shock the pool or give it an algaecide treatment. A regular maintenance regime will break the cycle that causes these algae outbreaks.
Reduce plants around the pool
Let there be (no) light
Bugs are attracted to bright, white lights, so keep them as dim as possible and if you can, turn your patio or pool lights off at night. LED bulbs are better than UV at reducing the insect population.
Interestingly, scientists have revealed that yellow lights can deter bugs, so a yellow shade of LED lights around your pool is preferable to white.
Keep your pool patio clean
Greasy barbeque grills, empty cans and bird feeders are enticing to bugs on the hunt for food, so keep them at a distance from your pool. Keep composters containing fruit, vegetable scraps, grass clippings and flowers away from your swimming pool.
Summer may be the time for bugs, but it’s also when a pool will come into its own. If you’re thinking of buying one, why not investigate those made by Factory Pools Perth? All are sold with a lifetime structural and surface guarantee and are made locally in Forrestdale, WA.
