Banishing Pool Bugs: Keep Your Water Crystal Clear

Your swimming pool is designed to be a refreshing oasis, not a breeding ground for creepy crawlies. However, to many insects, your pool appears to be the perfect place to live, eat, and reproduce.

Few things are as unsettling as spotting bugs in your pool. When that happens, it’s time to clear them out and prevent them from returning.

What Are Water Bugs?

As the name implies, water bugs are insects that thrive in aquatic environments. While they typically inhabit lakes and ponds, two types in particular—water boatmen and backswimmers—seem to have an affinity for pools.

1. Water Boatmen

While their presence is unpleasant, water boatmen are relatively harmless compared to other pool pests.

Scientific Classification

Water boatmen belong to the Corixidae family within the Hemiptera order (true bugs).

How to Identify Them

These oval-shaped insects are typically brown or greenish-brown and measure about half an inch in length. They have prominent eyes and elongated rear legs with tiny hair-like structures that help them swim—hence their name. Additionally, they have wings and can fly.

Diet and Behavior

Water boatmen feed on algae, organic debris, and mosquito larvae, making them somewhat beneficial. However, having them in your pool isn’t exactly ideal.

Are They Dangerous?

Not at all. They don’t bite, sting, or pose any direct health risks.

How to Remove Them

Water boatmen are attracted to algae, which means their presence signals an underlying algae problem. Here’s how to eliminate them:

1. Manually Remove Them – Use a skimmer to fish them out, but keep in mind they might just fly away. Some people suggest submerging them in water with oil, but that’s unnecessary and messy. Consider relocating them instead.
2. Vacuum the Pool – Use a manual vacuum to remove debris and algae from the pool floor.
3. Scrub the Pool – An algae brush can help dislodge algae from walls, ladders, and steps.
4. Test and Balance Water Chemistry – Ensure pH levels are between 7.4 and 7.6, and alkalinity falls within 100–150 ppm. Proper chemical balance makes pool treatment more effective.
5. Shock the Pool – Double the usual dose of pool shock (2 pounds per 10,000 gallons of water) to eradicate algae. If your water has a green tint, consider tripling or quadrupling the dose. Always shock the pool at night to prevent sunlight from depleting chlorine levels.
6. Run the Filtration System – Keep the pump running for at least 8 hours to circulate and clear the water. If a stronger shock treatment was used, let it run for a full 24 hours.

How to Prevent Their Return

The best prevention method is maintaining a clean pool with proper chlorine levels. Since algae is their primary food source, keeping it at bay will discourage water boatmen from settling in. Some pool owners suggest algaecides, but if your chemical balance is maintained correctly, they’re unnecessary.

For an extra layer of defense, consider using a solar pool cover when the pool is not in use—it keeps bugs from landing on the water’s surface.

2. Backswimmers

If water boatmen are the "good" bugs, backswimmers are definitely the "bad" ones.

Scientific Classification

Backswimmers belong to the Notonectidae family within the Hemiptera order (true bugs).

How to Identify Them

These slender, brownish insects resemble water boatmen, but they swim upside down—hence their name. Their hind legs are elongated and fringed for efficient movement, and like water boatmen, they have wings and can fly.

Diet and Behavior

Unlike water boatmen, backswimmers are predators. They feast on other insects, including water boatmen. So, if you have backswimmers, it likely means you also have water boatmen, which, in turn, suggests an algae issue.

Are They Dangerous?

While they’re not venomous, they do bite—and it’s painful, often compared to a bee sting.

How to Remove Them

Since backswimmers feed on water boatmen, removing the latter is the first step in eradicating them. The same pool-cleaning methods used for water boatmen will work for backswimmers. Removing algae will drive out water boatmen, and once their food source is gone, backswimmers will leave as well.

How to Prevent Their Return

The same strategies that keep water boatmen out will also keep backswimmers away. A well-maintained, algae-free pool eliminates their food source and discourages them from staying.

Final Thoughts: Keep Bugs Out for Good

If you spot water bugs in your pool, don’t panic—just follow the right steps to remove them and keep your water pristine. A clean, well-balanced pool is the best defense against any unwelcome aquatic guests.

With regular maintenance, proper chlorine levels, and occasional shock treatments, your pool will remain the perfect place for swimming—not for bugs!

Happy swimming!