Hi,
This is my very 1st post. How can all types of bugs, especially ants, live in a well-chlorinated swimming pool? And what about those ants that form piles, and the suckers live!
The pool people told us there was nothing that could be done.
Does anyone know different?
Thanks,
Peace Lady:confused:
Those bugs, of which you speak, don`t actually live IN the pool. Could you be more specific?
Hi,
I thought I would give you a couple of examples to better explain. Spiders, red bugs, etc… get into the pool, and they will live for days. They usualy live until we take them out with the net.
Then, groups of some type of ant gets in the water, and they build teeming live piles of top of each other, and live until we remove them.
The pool people say the have heard this over and over, and nothing can be done, except to remove them.
My husband and I can’t figure our how these critters live, when the water is full of chemnicls, especially chlorine.
Does this better explain?
Thanks for your help,
Peace Lady
There isn’t that much chlorine in the water. We used to have frogs in our pool & they did just fine.
Doesn’t the skimmer suck them?
You could try swimming in the pool. I’m not a pool expert, but my guess is that a 100+ lb human tends to rid most water bodies of surface dwelling insects. 
The pool may be chlorinated and “full of chemicals”, but insects are not ones to lay down without a fight. In fact, they may just as well post the question “why do humans keep building swimming pools on our earth?”
IMHO, you will not be able to kill any swimming pool pests that can breathe and osmoregulate (keep their water balance) on dry land so long as they can keep themselves from being completely immersed in water. Chlorine will kill just about all the nasty microorganisms in the water, though.
This means that you may have to occasionally empty your skimmer of live specimens of many common insects that are found in and around water, such as dragonflies; damselflies; water bugs, striders and boatmen; and some aquatic beetles and spiders. Some insects are generally ubiquitous in distribution, like bees and ants. Any species that is locally abundant has a good chance of winding up in the pool.
Typical insect exoskeletons are hard shells that help seal up the body from the outside world. Many insects have tiny hydrophobic hairs that literally allow them to walk on water, or at least bead the water to allow for gas exchange despite being saturated for hours.
The ants you observed forming death rafts are acting as though in united in purpose or controlled by a single mind - social behavior, and truly fascinating stuff.
Why doesn’t your skimmer basket suck 'em in and consign them to the innards of your pump filter?
I don’t have anything to add, seeing that I’m not a pool owner, myself. I just wanted to welcome you to the Straight Dope and congratulate you on your first post! May there be many more…
mmm…
Your reference to redbugs and clumping ants makes me think that you live in my neck of the woods. If that’s true, you have had a lot of rain lately. I suspect that the ants you describe are Brazilian fireants. They form floating clumps when their nests are flooded. Have you noticed that they’re also carrying their egg sacs, the little white things? I would not swim in a pool with clumps of fireants in it. My experience with this situation is to go buy some insecticide and give your yard a good spraying. Use a double dose of Triazicide and it’s hasta la vista fireants. Pay close attention to spraying into any cracks on and around your deck.
We have japanese beetles that seem to enjoy doing water ballet in our pool. Our pump is on a timer. The only time the beetles are annoying is when I forget to dump the skimmer basket out and the dead and half living beetles float back out. If your pump is running during the day you shouldn’t have a problem with the bugs if check the skimmewr basket once in a while.