Because mosquitoes love water, humidity, and flailing humans, your pool area is the perfect place for a mosquito buffet. Don’t put up a neon “All You Can Eat” sign. Protect your family’s health by taking a stand to keep mosquitoes away from your pool.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worked together to create best practices for municipalities working on mosquito control.

They advise organizations to take an approach they call “Integrated Pest Management,” which includes removing mosquito habitats, controlling mosquitos at all life cycle stages, and using structural barriers. We’ll help you take the same professional approach in your own backyard.

Serve Mosquitoes an Eviction Notice

Of their four life cycle stages, mosquitos spend three of them in water. Mosquito eggs hatch, become larvae, then grow into pupae, all in water.

Mosquitoes don’t bite during those stages, but they will when they mature. You can minimize the adult population by taking steps to rid your yard of mosquito breeding sites.

Dump Standing Water

Inspect your yard after a rain, and you may be surprised to find places where water lingers. Mosquitoes grow from eggs to biters in about two weeks, but eggs can survive for months waiting for water to help them hatch.

Turn over buckets, recycle old tires, and fill in areas of your yard that stay damp. For things you can’t empty, such as wading pools and fountains, change the water weekly.

Also, mosquitoes can’t breed and develop in moving water, so if you have a fountain or other water feature, keeping it in motion will help prevent mosquitoes from moving in, getting comfy, and getting busy.

Use a Pool Cover

When your pool isn’t in use, keep it covered. Although it’s unlikely your pool water will ever be completely still, it can be inviting to mosquitoes, and look like a good place for them to lay their eggs. Yuck! Keeping your pool covered when you’re not using it can help keep your water bug free.

Of course you don’t want to pull out your safety cover every time you get out of the pool. What a pain that would be! Your best bet is actually a solar pool cover.

Not only will it cover most of your pool’s surface and make it unattractive to determined mosquitoes, it can actually help heat your pool, and reduce evaporation. This will also help you save money on energy, water, and chemicals. It’s a quadruple win!

Keep Up With Your Landscaping

Mosquitoes love piles of soggy leaves, rotting logs, and tall, wet grass. Mow regularly, so you won’t have lots of grass clippings to deal with. Rake and dispose of leaves, pine needles, or palm fronds. Rotting logs should also be disposed of.

Pay special attention to areas that stay moist, such as underneath decks. Keeping those areas free of organic debris allows the water to drain into the ground or evaporate into the air before it becomes home to mosquito larvae.

Fill Tree Holes

Do you have old, knotty trees on your property? Trees with holes provide homes for several types of animals and insects. But if your tree hole holds water, it may also be a place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

To safely eliminate this problem without killing your tree, fill it with expanding foam insulation. The foam will seal off the hole without adding weight to the tree trunk. You can cut off any excess foam that comes out of the hole. Expanding foam can even be sanded and painted to blend in or match decor.

Note: Only fill in a tree hole if you’ve verified that it holds water. Tree holes that do not hold water can be homes and nesting sites for birds and other wildlife.

Repair Septic Tank Cracks

If there’s a way for mosquitoes to get into your septic tank to lay their eggs, they will find it. Search for any place they could get in, such as uncovered ventilation pipes, cracks in the tank walls, and gaps in the septic tank cover.

Cover ventilation pipes with screen mesh tight enough to prevent insects from flying through. Use cement to repair your tank walls. Replace tank covers that don’t have a snug fit. If you have an abandoned septic tank on your property, consider filling it in to keep it from turning into a big mosquito condo unit.

Maintain Proper Pool Chemistry

If your pool is full of clean, balanced water that’s being turned over by your pump every day, it won’t be habitable for mosquitoes. Keep up with pool maintenance, such as cleaning your filter and skimmer regularly. Create and stick to a pool maintenance schedule to be sure your pool stays clean, clear, and pest free.

How to Kill the Bitey Buggers

Once you’ve gotten rid of mosquito habitats on your property, it’s time to get rid of the blood suckers. Well, only adult female mosquitoes feed on blood, but they need males to breed, so we’ll help you get rid of all the mosquitoes at every stage of their life cycle.

Larvicides

Different types of pesticides kill insects at various stages. Larvicides kill mosquito pupae and larvae. They come in several forms: liquid, tablets, pellets, granules, and briquettes, but all are used the same way.

You place the larvicide in water where bug babies are likely to be, such as gutters, septic tanks, on top of pool covers, and in non-chlorine swimming pools or wading pools. The EPA registers larvicides and maintains information regarding their safe use around people, pets, and in the environment.

Adulticides

Pesticides that kill fully grown mosquitoes–you know, the ones that bite–are known as adulticides. They come in several forms, including sprays, aerosols, foggers, and coils. Some of them can also be used indoors.

For your pool area, be sure to choose products made for outdoor application. Pay special attention to moist, dark areas where mosquitoes like to hang out. You’ll also want to avoid spraying adulticide near fruit, veggie gardens, or blooming plants that attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.

Home Mosquito Misters

Want to rid your property of adult insects without hiring a pro or constantly spraying by hand? Check out mosquito misters. For small areas, you can try inexpensive hanging lanterns that spray a pesticide mist.

To get more coverage over a larger area, consider installing a full system with a reservoir unit that feeds pesticide through tubing to misters all around your property. While these systems may be convenient, you have a few important considerations before you buy.

• The pesticides used in misters may not be regulated by the EPA, but are regulated by some states. Be sure to check your state’s regulations about the pesticide you plan to use.
• Although the pesticides have been tested for safety, mist travels. It can get on people, pets, and plants, or may accidentally be inhaled. The EPA cautions, “No pesticide should be regarded as 100% risk free.”
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter, and proceed cautiously with any pesticide use.

Natural Predators

Now that you’ve seen the recommendations and some warnings about pesticide application, you may be wondering about more natural ways to combat mosquitoes. One way to eradicate problem insects is by introducing some of their natural predators to the environment they’ve invaded—in this case, your yard.

Three of the most effective mosquito killers are bats, dragonflies, and mosquito fish. But just how effective might it be to use them in your fight against bloodsuckers?

Dragonflies

Harmless and beautiful, these flying insects are mosquito-eating machines. Attract them to your yard with a predator-free pond featuring tall plants, such as cattails or reeds.

They typically lay their eggs on the water, with some dragonflies inserting their eggs into the stems of water plants. You don’t need a huge pond to attract them, either. A simple water feature in a small garden will do it.

Mosquito dunks, a mosquito larvicide, can be used to keep the mosquitoes from breeding in your pond without harming dragonflies, honeybees, or other critters in your pond.

Mosquito Fish

Ever heard of these guys? They’re an excellent natural predator to add to your pond or garden water features. Some vector control agencies will even give them to you for free because controlling mosquitoes on your property helps everyone.

However, mosquito fish (also called Gambusia affinis, or simply Gambusia) are such vicious little larvae hunters that they can cause trouble when introduced into the wrong environment, so they’re regulated in some places. Be sure it’s legal in your state to keep them in your pond.

Bats

Animals whose diet consists of insects are called insectivores, and this includes some species of bats. Their diets consist mostly of moths, beetles, wasps, and to a lesser degree, mosquitoes.

While they may not be as effective against mosquitoes as other predators, some insectivorous bats can help keep your yard and pool area clear of several other pests.

Let’s be clear—we do not recommend that you actively try to attract bats to your yard. Bats carry and transmit some dangerous diseases, such as rabies and histoplasmosis.

However, if bats already live on or near your property, rather than trying to get rid of them, we recommend that you simply leave them be, and let them do their thing.

They’re nocturnal, which means they’ll be out at a time that you’re less likely to be in your pool. And their goal when they’re out and about is to eat bugs and stay as far away from humans as possible.

Leave them alone, and they’ll leave you alone—and do you a favor by eating about half their weight in insects every night.

Roll Up The Welcome Mat

Emptying buckets of rainwater and spraying for mosquitoes will help put a dent in their population on your property. However, you can take steps to make your whole swimming pool area less inviting for mosquitoes. So, roll up those soggy welcome mats and give those bugs the boot.

Pool Enclosures

If you’re a native Floridian, the sight of a screened in pool enclosure is nothing new to you, but for some folks, this product is totally foreign. It’s basically a big room made of mesh, glass, or fiberglass built around and over your pool area.

Pool enclosures help keep bugs, debris, and possibly some ultraviolet rays (depending on the enclosure’s material) out of your pool area. Some of them can also withstand high winds, which can protect your pool from evaporation.

But just like a screen door, one little rip in a mesh pool enclosure (or a gap in a glass or fiberglass one) can let all the bugs in. Inspect your pool enclosure often, and repair rips and gaps as soon as you find them.

Bug Nets and Curtains

Long, flowy drapes can not only enhance your pool area, they help keep the bugs away, too. Whether you choose fabric curtains or bug nets, surrounding your pool or patio area with these will help shelter you from mosquitoes. Hang curtains from your pergola, pavilion, or lanai roof. Use a track or tie-backs to open them during the day, then close by dusk when the mosquitoes come out to play.

Mosquito-Repelling Plants

Stinky feet and Limburger cheese are attractive to mosquitoes. Just as those odors draw the insects in, could the scent of certain plants repel them? Maybe.

Marigolds, basil, lavender, catnip, garlic, and a handful of other plants are said to repel mosquitoes, though it can be difficult to find any actual scientific evidence to support this claim. If nothing else, marigolds are pretty, lavender smells nice, you can use basil and garlic in the kitchen, and your kitty will love the catnip.

Yellow Bug Lights

Bulbs of a certain color are outside the spectrum of light bugs can see, so they don’t attract insects. While the science behind yellow bug lights makes sense, they’re not a perfect solution on their own.

A study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science found a warm temperature, standard LED attracted even fewer insects than a “bug bulb,” though both effectively reduced bug draw.

Fans

Have you heard that mosquitoes can’t fly through the wind created by a fan? It’s true! Even the American Mosquito Control Association recommends using a large fan near outdoor gatherings to keep the insects away. Apparently, mosquitoes are weak flyers, so they really can’t get past the breeze from the fan to bite you.

Personal Insect Repellent

Diethyltoluamide, better known as DEET, is probably the most effective mosquito repellent on the market today. In fact, it’s in all three of the top performing insect repellents from a study of bug spray protection times published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Citronella is moderately effective compared to DEET, but isn’t one of the EPA-recommended substances for repelling mosquitoes. They suggest products containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus

You can also try products that contain IR3535 (a synthetic repellent found in products like OFF! or Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus), or 2-undecanone (a synthesized version of a compound found in rue, wild tomatoes, and several other plants), though they may not be as effective.

The EPA provides a handy tool for finding the best, EPA-registered mosquito repellents for you.

Citronella Products

You probably can recall barbecues from your childhood surrounded by citronella tiki torches or those familiar tin buckets with a stinky, yellow candle inside.

Even though citronella can be somewhat effective at preventing mosquito bites when applied topically, the candles have proven to be pretty worthless. A fan is much better investment for your patio than citronella torches and candles.

Mosquito Traps

Using a variety of attractants, such as carbon dioxide, and various methods of containment, mosquito traps lure, then kill insects. The insects are either sucked inside to die, trapped in a sticky fly-paper substance, or electrocuted.

While all of that sounds very final, the use of attractant can be problematic, attracting more mosquitoes than the trap can handle. Remember that while no single solution will solve your mosquito problem, mosquito traps may be a useful component of your integrated approach.

One Final Tip

Mosquitoes are drawn to certain smells, hormonal changes, and chemicals. One major draw for mosquitoes happens to be carbon dioxide.

If you really want to avoid being bitten, just hold your breath. Or at least, try not to breathe as much as the person next to you. Just kidding!

Stick with those EPA-registered repellents, put up some environmental barriers, and invite natural mosquito predators into your yard, and breathe easy knowing you and your family are a little safer from mosquito-borne diseases.

Happy (bug-free) Swimming!

The post How to Keep Mosquitoes Away From Your Pool appeared first on Swim University®.

Few things will gross you out like finding water bugs in your pool. When that happens, you need to evict them, and then take steps to keep them from coming back.

2 Types of Water Bugs in Your Pool

Exactly as the name suggests, they’re insects that live in or on water. Usually, you’ll find water bugs in ponds and other natural bodies of water. But two types in particular—water boatmen and backswimmers—seem to love swimming pools.

1. Water Boatmen

They may look a little scary, but water boatmen, also known as corixids, aren’t the worst water bugs to have in your pool.

Scientific Designation

These water bugs belong to the family Corixidae (water boatmen) in the order Hemiptera (true bugs).

What Do They Look Like?

Water boatmen are oval-shaped, and usually brown or greenish-brown in color. They have large eyes. They usually don’t grow more than ½ an inch long.

Their rear-most legs are longer than the others, and are fringed with hairs that help it stay afloat and paddle, hence their name. Those legs usually extend forward, past the second set of legs.

They also have wings, and yes, they can and do fly.

What Do They Eat?

Because they eat algae, plant detritus, other water microorganisms, and mosquito larvae, water boatmen are considered beneficial insects. It’s just kind of gross to have them in your pool.

Are They Dangerous?

Not in the least. They’re not poisonous, and they don’t bite. They’re actually pretty docile. You wouldn’t want to keep one as a pet or anything. But as far as insects go, they’re one of the good guys.

How Do You Get Rid of Them?

These particular water bugs in your pool are likely there because there’s also algae in your pool. Remember, water boatmen eat algae. They also lay their eggs in algae. Then a bunch of little baby water boatmen hatch and eat algae.

Don’t see any algae in your pool? It could be that it just hasn’t bloomed to the point where it’s visible—yet. But algae spores are microscopic, so if you see water boatmen in your pool, it’s because they know the pool algae is there before you do.

1. Remove the Water Bugs in Your Pool The easiest way to do that is with a skimmer. Remember, they fly, so they may just take off as soon as you scoop them out of the water.

The question is, should you kill them? You may have seen some advice floating around about killing them by dumping them into a bucket filled with water and cooking oil. This suffocates them, which is a slow, torturous death. Plus, it’s messy.

Sure, they’re just bugs. But remember, they’ve been doing you a favor by eating algae and mosquito larvae. So while they’re gross and all, maybe just relocate them? It’s up to you.

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2. Vacuum the Pool For this step, you’ll want to manually vacuum the pool rather than using an automatic cleaner. Remove as much sediment and debris from the pool as you can.

Be sure to vacuum to waste to keep the dirty water from returning to the pool. That would just defeat the purpose, right?

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3. Brush the Pool Using an algae brush, scrub down the surfaces of your pool—including ladders and steps—to loosen any algae clinging there. This will move it into the water so the shock you’re about to add kills it all.

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4. Test the Water Use either test strips or a liquid test kit to make sure the pH and alkalinity are where they’re supposed to be (between 7.4 and 7.6, and between 100 parts per million (ppm) and 150 ppm, respectively). If they’re not, adjust them until they are. This will ensure the chlorine shock works the way it should.

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5. Shock the Pool This isn’t a regular weekly shock. You’re trying to kill algae, so we recommend at least a double dose of pool shock. Normally, you’d use 1 pound of calcium hypochlorite shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Double that to 2 pounds per 10,000 gallons.

If the water is a darker green, you may need to triple or even quadruple the dose.

Important: Remember to shock your pool at dusk or night. Otherwise, the sun’s rays will burn the chlorine off before it has a chance to work its magic.

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Use the entire contents of the bag when opened. If any granules settle to the bottom of the pool use brush to disperse them. Add the right dosage of this product during evening hours while the filter pump is running.

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6. Run the Pump Now you need to get the shock evenly distributed, and allow it to dissipate so you can use the pool again. Run the pump for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. And if you triple or quadruple shocked, run it for 24 hours. Test the water to make sure chlorine levels have returned to normal before you swim again.

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How Do You Keep Them From Returning?

It’s a two-pronged approach: Clean your pool on a regular basis, and keep your chlorine (or other sanitizer) level where it’s supposed to be. This will keep algae out of your pool, which, in turn, will keep the water boatmen out as well.

You may see other advice that says to use an algaecide for this purpose. Our view is, algaecide isn’t necessary if you maintain proper pool chemistry, keep sanitizer levels where they should be, and shock your pool on a regular basis.

If algae can’t grow in your pool, there’s nothing for the water boatmen to eat, and they’ll go somewhere else, never to darken your pool steps again.

NOTE: For a really quick fix for keeping bugs from returning, just use a solar pool cover on your pool when you’re not using it. The cover floats on top of the pools so bugs can’t.

2. Backswimmers

If water boatmen are the good guys, then … yup, you guessed it. Backswimmers are the bad guys.

Scientific Designation

These water bugs belong to the family Notonectidae (backswimmers) in the order Hemiptera (true bugs).

What Do They Look Like?

These water bugs are long, thin, and a light- to medium-brown color. Their back legs are longer than their other legs, and are fringed to help them skim across the water. They also have wings and fly.

They usually don’t grow more than ½ an inch long. Their most distinctive characteristic is that they swim upside-down, which is why they’re called “backswimmers.” Clever people, those bug namers.

They’re often mistaken for water boatmen, so if you see water bugs in your pool and you’re not sure what they are, check to see whether they’re upside-down. If so, you have nasty backswimmers to deal with.

What Do They Eat?

They’re predators, so they eat other bugs, including water boatmen. So just as you probably have water boatmen because you have algae, you probably have backswimmers because you have water boatmen.

Are They Dangerous?

Well, they’re not poisonous, but they do bite. And their bites hurt! They feel like bee stings.

How Do You Get Rid of Them?

They don’t eat algae like water boatmen, but they do lay their eggs in it, so you’ll still want to treat your pool for algae.

You can also use the water-and-oil-in-a-bucket method to kill the existing ones, but again, it’s messy, and if you’re patient, removing their food source is effective in driving them away.

But the best way to get rid of backswimmers is to remove their food supply, which means getting the water boatmen out of the pool, which also entails getting rid of algae.

How Do You Keep Them From Returning?

The same procedure you use to keep water boatmen from returning will also keep backswimmers from coming back. As long as there are water boatmen in your pool, there will also be backswimmers looking for a meal.

Bug Out, Bugs!

If you have water bugs in your pool, they won’t be there much longer. Now you know what tools to use and what steps to follow to get rid of them and keep them from coming back.

Anytime anything invades your pool, whether it’s bugs or algae, it will always come back to keeping your pool clean, keeping the water balanced, and keeping up with your pool maintenance.

Happy Swimming!

The post How To Get Rid Of Water Bugs In Your Pool appeared first on Swim University®.

Bees hang out around your pool for good reason—it’s a giant watering hole in their multiple compound eyes. And if you have bees buzzing around, chances are you’ve seen a wasp or three as well. While you may be tempted to destroy them, remember they’re actually very good for the environment—even the small environment of your back yard. You just need to show them a better place to be than around your pool.

How to Keep Bees Away from Your Pool

Given how important bees are to the environment, their destruction should always be the very last resort after you’ve tried everything else at least twice. Yes, seriously.

Bees are dying in record numbers all over the world. Killing even just a handful—or worse, an entire nest—in your back yard will contribute to the overall loss of bees. And that will contribute to unfathomable damage to worldwide food production.

You have several options available that don’t entail killing bees. In fact, you can help and protect them instead because the pool itself is a danger to bees. They may land in it to drink water, but then become unable to fly out of the water, and end up drowning. So keeping bees away from the pool is for your safety and theirs.

Provide an Alternative Water Source

All living beings need water. Bees are buzzing around your pool looking for a place to drink. If you provide them with an alternative water source, they’ll find your pool a little less attractive.

We’re not talking about a whole pond in your back yard. A shallow birdbath or dish will do the trick. If you decide to use a regular birdbath, or something with a little more depth to it, place a few river stones or a small piece of wood near the edge of the water. This will give the bees a way to climb out should they fall into the water. It also gives them a place to land and drink from.

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01/28/2023 08:58 am GMT

Keep the bees’ water source filled all summer, and remember the water will probably evaporate more quickly than the bees can drink it, especially if you live in a hot climate.

Note: If you set up a water source for bees before you open your pool for the season, the bees will already have an established water source and be less likely to buzz the pool.

Try dryer sheets

Hold on a minute. Dryer sheets? Really?

We’ll be honest here—we’re not entirely sure this works. Some sources say it’s an old wives tale. Others say dryer sheets do repel some insects. Some people swear by it. Others say it’s a waste of a good dryer sheet.

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01/27/2023 03:14 pm GMT

We say, give it a shot. Why not? It’s an inexpensive experiment, and if it doesn’t work, you’re only out a few pennies.

Arrange a few dryer sheets around your pool in decorative baskets, then watch what happens. Are the bees staying away from the pool? Then maybe it really does work! Just be sure to change the sheets out every so often as they’ll lose their scent, and probably their effectiveness, over time.

Are the bees still making themselves at home around your pool? Are they maybe even landing on the dryer sheets? Is that buzzing, or are they laughing at your silly attempt to keep them away? We’ll never know.

In any case, if you don’t see a reduction in the number of bees around your pool, then go ahead and chalk this one up to urban legend, and get back to creating that alternative water source.

Call a Local Beekeeper

If you’re only seeing an occasional bee flying around the pool, it’s not a big problem. But does your pool look like every bee in the neighborhood turned out for a party? You may have a nest on your property.

Find a beekeeper in your community. They may be able to remove the nest for you, without damaging it or killing the bees. They can then relocate the bees to a better, more accommodating home. Everyone wins!

If you can’t find a beekeeper, an exterminator may also be able to move the nest. Just be sure to specify that’s what you want done instead of having insecticide sprayed in the area where your kids and dog play.

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How to Keep Wasps Away from Your Pool

Unfortunately, wasps are a bit tougher to get rid of than bees. They’re also scarier. They don’t have the reputation of pollen-gathering, honey-producing, fuzzy, cute little bees. Their reputation is, they’re basically jerks waiting to chase you and sting you just for fun.

But it’s important to note that they do offer some benefit.

First, even though they’re not as cute as bees, wasps are also important pollinators. In addition to flowers, a certain kind of wasp is essential to pollinating some varieties of figs. It’s called a fig wasp. Fitting, right?

Wasps also eat other pests such as flies, aphids, and centipedes. They’re one of nature’s built-in pest control solutions. Granted, they sometimes also eat beneficial insects such as spiders and yes, bees. But that’s all part of how nature works. When things go wrong is when we interfere with the natural order of things, and start spraying insecticide all over the yard, which will just kill everything, beneficial or not.

So before you start swatting or spraying wasps, consider a few alternatives to redirect them instead.

Deploy Decoy Wasps Nests

Wasps are very territorial and don’t like living near other wasps. They’re like the Jets and the Sharks that way. The good thing is, you can make this work to your advantage to keep wasps away from your pool.

You can buy fake wasp nests and hang them in other areas of the yard, preferably away from your house as well as the pool. Place them early in the season before the wasps start building their own nests. This way, you’ll keep them where you want them.

Try Using Raw Meat

Wasps apparently love raw meat. You may have noticed this if you’ve ever had a cookout, and had wasps continually trying to land on those burgers and steaks before you put them on the grill. Again, you can use this to your advantage.

Whenever you’re going to use your pool, try hanging a bit of cheap steak, ground beef, or chicken—raw, not cooked—in another part of your yard, preferably as far from your pool as possible. This will draw the wasps away from the pool as they head to the feast.

Important: Use a small amount of meat that the wasps will be able to go through quickly. Too much, and it may rot, leaving you with other icky problems, including flies and maggots.

Call in a Pro

If a large group of wasps has moved into your pool area, it may be more than a couple of fake nests and a little raw meat can solve. Or maybe someone in your home is allergic to stings, and you need the wasps (or bees) moved right away. Don’t hesitate to call in a professional.

This will usually be a pest control company, so make sure you tell them you want the wasps relocated, not sprayed with insecticide. The last thing you need is toxic chemicals blowing into your pool water or landing on the grass where you, your kids, and your dog may walk barefoot. Well, you and your kids. Of course your dog walks barefoot. Unless your dog is into fashion.

Get Buzzy!

The sooner you figure out how to keep bees away from the pool, and encourage wasps to move into the condos you set out, the sooner you can get back to enjoying your pool worry free.

Just remember that every being has its place in the ecosystem, even wasps. So the more you’re able to peacefully coexist with all the creatures in your back yard, the happier you’ll all be.

Happy Swimming!

The post How to Keep Bees and Wasps Away From a Pool appeared first on Swim University®.