a "new" pool bug?

[CT]

Hello, First we had Mallards messing up the pool..now we've got a pestier problem. We opened the pool early last week and put the solar cover on it Thursday (this is Saturday) -- Friday I came home from work --made sure the ducks were still gone and then discovered we have some kind of non-flying beetle by the dozens all around the edge of the solar cover on the deep end -- they are about the size of a pin head and some a little bit bigger -- dark in color --they look mettalic in the water--kind of copperish and are round in shape. They do NOT hop or fly or dive down in the water, just float on top and crawl all over the solar cover. Today I have a lookie-see and OMG!!!! there is a small colony growing fast!! Plus..they are not just in the pool but on the sidewalk and in the grass and not just by the pool either -- I think they came from the yard and went to the pool--- yikes!!! We had some Malathyon that we used on red spider mites that I experimented with (on land of course--never in the water) and it didn't hurt them at all. I've spent hours looking at tons of different types of beetles and have found nothing that looks like these things. Oh yeah..The friggin ducks are back too!! They are pretty but they have to go away...fakes snakes do not work--neither does spraying them with the garden hose..I think they like it. I'm gonna try that flashing light floating in the pool next if I can find out where to buy one. This is looking like an interesting pool year.
Sorry this is so long -- so I guess I have 3 questions.
Does anyone know WHAT they are and more importantly how to kill them -- on land and on "sea" --so-to-speak?
How do you REALLY keep the ducks away?

[Buggsw]

Sounds like a nightmare!

Perhaps if you take some pics of the pests and post them at photobucket and then link them here so someone can see them.

Otherwise, I remember someone discussing an beetle issue over at either poolforum or www dot troublefreepool dot com. You could possibly find out what they are doing about it by asking or doing a search there, too. This sounds pretty serious.

[ct]

Ok, After wasting money on floating aligators, fake snakes, fishing line over the pool and a plastic bb gun (wanted no harm to the ducks --just a little sting) that was just an annoyance to them, I finally came upon the one true answer to the problem of ducks in the pool. PERSERVERENCE!!! Yes, I was off work all week and kept a constant vigil on the pool. Every single time I saw them land in or near the pool I turned on the garden hose full blast and charged them with it. After 2 days, they started coming around less and less. After 4, they did a fly over a couple of times but did not land. They have now been gone from our yard for 5 days. So, for everyone out there looking for that one sure cure that doesn't cost a ton of money (the floating flashing light), this is it -- and it's free (except for your time of course). As for the beetles that were multiplying...They have basically gone away -- hopefully for the season. All is well in poolville now - and the weather has been absolutely perfect too! YEAH!!