Black Beetles swimming in my pool!

[Homer Golden]

I bought my kids a 20' above ground pool and filled it up with water yesterday. I get home from work this evening and there had to be at least 50 little swimming beetles all in the pool swimming around from the surface to around 3' deep. What are these and how can I get rid of them????? Any help is appreciated!

[LoveMyPool]

I have the same problem. I hope someone replies.

[Dkrippse]

I have the same problem. I hope someone replies.

Some people swear by detergent...like spraying the bugs with Dawn or Wisk. It kills them but they quickly return. I use BioGuard's algaecide known as Back Up. The bugs are still in the pool but they are at the bottom...dead! The recommended amount is 6 oz/ 15000 gallons but I use 7 to 8 as recommended by my pool supplier for not only killing the algae but also the bugs. I've seen wasps and bees fly in, land on the water, and shortly after, they are sinking to the bottom where the barracuda vacuums them up.

[ReesFAmTX]

We had these, and I kept skimming them and telling the kids to ignore one. Just flushed one out of my 3 year old daughters ear canal! I kept telling her it was just water and finally dripped a little alcohol in and it came rushing out and died.

So don't ignore them! I would also like to know what they're called, I'm not having much luck.

[Melizabethjohnson]

We have them in our pool, and I'm with you, don't ignore them they actively chase you! It's creepy! I will head a diff direction it will rotate and jet after me and cling to my clothes! What the heck are they and what are they trying to do? My mom got bit by one!

[paulbest]

The only way to get rid of them is to take away their food supply, for water boatmen its algae, for backswimmers its other water bugs such as water boatmen or water beetles. The first step is to balance your water chemistry of course, scrub the algae off of the sides and bottoms of pool, then add bleach or hydrogen peroxide to oxidize the algae. With no algae in the pool, the bugs cannot and will not lay their eggs!

If your pool does get away from you and you find waterbugs in your pool, then here is a simple treatment. At night be sure to turn off all exterior lights surrounding your pool. Put a spotlight at the deep end shining into your pool. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of liquid dish soap into the pool where the spotlight is shining. The waterbugs will come up for air and be drawn to the light. With the soap on the surface, they cannot penetrate the surface and will drown. Just scoop them up the next morning.