Summer was a breeze, and it’s time to get started with how to get rid of mosquito larvae in pools!
Get your swimsuits ready, its pool time! Ever had an exciting feeling where you would want to just jump right into the pool? Daydreaming about the sun kissing your skin, cold water splashing unto you and making you feel refreshed. Just before you jump right in, you notice something. Squiggly dark looking squiggles moving around the pool. The pool is kind of dirty for being stagnant for a long time and splat! You hear buzzing around your face, it’s a mosquito! And probably those squiggly things you see on the pool are mosquito larvae. You wonder if you can remove them and prevent your pool from getting them. Begging the question as to how to get rid of mosquito larvae in pools.
It is such a pain in the ass to clean up the pool, especially when it’s really hot out there and you just want to have a relaxing swim today. The time and effort to just clean the pool is too much to handle especially if you don’t know how to do it. Most people would not want to spend too much on cleaning the pool without getting fast and great results. But what exactly are mosquito larvae? Are they harmful? Can you get rid of them?
WHAT ARE MOSQUITO LARVAE?
Mosquitoes are bloodsucking insects that have irritating bites. Before turning into those buzzing suckers, mosquitoes undergo transformation through metamorphosis. They go through four stages before turning into mosquitoes. The eggs are laid one at a time and group together (rafts), some of these eggs hatches within 48 hours after they are laid mosquito eggs love water and it is not necessary for their living since water is their habitat that is why you might find it common for mosquito eggs in water after they develop the next stage in their life cycle is the larvae.
The larvae live in water, these squiggly insects come to the surface to breathe. The larva is those squiggly little things you see in water mostly the mosquito lays an egg on stagnant water that is why you might observe that you might see larvae on pots with old water period after the larva stage they turn into the pupa this stage is where they rest and prepare to turn into the adult mosquito. In this stage of development but they are responsive to light changes like the butterfly this is where the mosquito develop itself and prepare for adulting. In the last stage of the life cycle of a mosquito, they emerge from the pupa and they rest on the surface of the water to dry themselves off before flying and sucking your blood. It would take those days before they eat blood and look for their partners to meet and make new baby mosquitoes and the cycle repeats.
Swimming Pools are the perfect habitat for mosquitoes. They’re wide and filled with water that is essential for baby mosquitoes. When you feel lazy and don’t clean your pool for more than a week, it is the perfect opportunity for mosquitoes to make it their new home. Since stagnant water is a perfect place to breed no mosquitoes the pool is an example of a new home. Wrist blood-sucking insects are attracted to standing water. And when you feel lazy to clear or clean out your pool they will most likely breed on it. When they turn your pool into their new home it’s hard to enjoy swimming with your family so you have to keep those insects out. To do that, you have to address the problem of having larvae in your pool. It is also important to check on your pool to prevent mosquito breeding.
HOW TO GET RID OF MOSQUITO LARVAE IN POOLS
Having a pool is one of the most awesome things to have in the house. But it would be really sad if you cannot use the pool immediately when you feel hot on a summer day. It feels disappointing when you cannot have a refreshing day in the pool because of these squiggly insects. You can search for different chemicals or home remedies on how to eradicate mosquito larvae in your pools. Here are just some of the ways to remove those little squigglies your pool:
- Look for the correct chemicals to eradicate these insects. There are specific chemicals used to clean pools, but we need special chemicals dedicated to killing those mosquitoes. BTI is a highly toxic substance to mosquito larvae and mosquito dunks have that certain chemical. BTI or Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis is an active ingredient found in mosquito dunks that target and kills those little squiggles. They look like small doughnuts and they are a special type of biological mosquito control. the mosquito larvae are usually found on the surface of the water that is why when you put the mosquito dunk in the pool, they stay afloat. Mosquito dunks can last up to 30 days and can cover up to a hundred meter of area. They are designed to treat stagnant bodies of water.
The cookie-shaped mosquito dunk has a hole where you can attach a string to keep it in place. They are lightweight so they can float. They are also unnoticeable and have a light scent. These dunks are eco friendly and are made out of soil bacteria. As you put it in the water, the mosquito larvae feed on it and die after a couple of hours. They quickly consume the BTI and die. In probably a week, you will see the full results. They can die within the next 12 hours.
- Another way to get rid of the mosquito larvae in the pool is by using Methoprene granules or also known as mosquito granules. They look like brown cereal or dog food, but you should careful in handling it. These granules contain a synthetic growth hormone inhibitor so it prevents larvae to go into the adult stage. Just like the mosquito dunk, we can also last up to 30 days with a single application. To apply this chemical, you first have to determine how big the pool is. Measured the surface area of the pool to how much mosquito granules you should put. Read the instructions of the mosquito granules brand that you bought don’t know how much granules you should put in every square foot. There is a recommended amount of mosquito granules depending on the brand that you bought. Treat the pool evenly to kill and eradicate every single wriggling larva.
- Here’s a familiar chemical that you know is used to treat swimming pools. Chlorine is a strong substance that cleans pools. You don’t need too much chlorine, so be careful in using a large amount of chlorine. Some people would even complain about how much chlorine there is in the swimming pool when they go to water parks or resorts. Chlorine in high amounts is very dangerous to people.
BTI or bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis is an active ingredient present in Mosquito eradicating products. This bacterium does not just help in Disposing mosquito larvae but also other bugs. It is only effective on larvae, so you also have to deal with the adult ones since they can reproduce more larvae, and you still have to deal with them again. But once you do this, it will be hard for the adult mosquitoes reproduce in the pool again since it was filled with the mosquito dunk. When the adult mosquitoes try to produce in the BTI filled pool, it just likes killing their own offspring since BTI is harmful. It is good to follow these in following how to get rid of mosquito larvae in pools but remember the following requirements!
Apply these chemicals once every two weeks, or do it regularly to make sure they there won’t be any left. You also have to remember that you are dealing with chemicals, so it is important to protect yourself. Before handling these chemicals make sure that you have protective equipment. Wear the necessary protective types of equipment to prevent accidents. Wear gloves or anything that will protect you. Measure these things correctly. This will ensure that the chemicals you use are effective. After treating your pool, separate your protective clothing and wash your hands thoroughly.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR POOL
The root cause of having larvae in your pool is because of mosquitoes. And why do mosquitoes love your pool? It is for the reason that your pool is like an open invitation for mosquitoes to start their family and build a community. You can avoid having these wriggling insects by doing preventive measures. You will not just be getting rid of mosquito larvae, you are also preventing this problem to come back. So back to the question as to how to get rid of mosquito larvae in pools.
There are a lot of ways to solve the mosquito problem first, here are the following suggestions:
- Pool covers and maintenance – you can use a pool cover to make sure that nothing will go into your pool when you are not using it. If you want you can also build a screen room for your pool. But the screen room won’t work if you don’t seal it properly. Mosquitoes will even invite their other friends to invade your backyard and build their village there. When you install a pool cover, always check on it. Rainwater and other sources may gather in the pool cover. This may be used by the mosquitoes as a new breeding area, so, it defeats its purpose. Make sure the pool cover is tightly sealed. Always clean your pool. You can run a pump through the pool to create movement. Don’t forget to remove leaves are other things that keep the pool dirty. Routinely put chemicals or any safe things to help clean the pool. You can also drain the pool out if you will not use it for a long time and still seal it so it won’t get dirty.
- Maintain your garden – Try to keep your garden clean. Keep your lawn tidy since tall grasses may serve as a breeding ground as they have a lot of moisture. These overgrown plants are one of the favourites spots where mosquitoes hangout to cool themselves. An unmaintained garden and lawn is an invitation for the mosquitoes to chill. Trim those grasses and overgrown. It will not just make your garden pretty, but it will also help you with mosquito troubles.
- Mosquito repelling plants – since you already have plants in your garden, why not add something that will help repel those mosquitoes? There are a lot of types that will help you with this job. There are claims that lavender, marigold, garlic, catnip and other types of plants help in repelling insects. So, why not try having them in your garden? They are pretty and they will help you. They could be good decoration and can be useful in the kitchen.
- Remove other sources of standing or stagnant water – this is a potential breeding place for mosquitoes. Even if you cover the pool if there are puddles in the lawn or other places. Mosquitoes love standing water, even the smallest puddles can be a new home for these mosquitoes. So go throw the water in the bucket outside, clean your gutters and canals and look for potential breeding sites.
This tips may be a good idea for general cleaning in your garden. You can also get rid of those larvae in the pool that could turn into mosquitoes, bite you and spread diseases and produce more mosquitoes to buzz around you.
Finally, you can remove these squirming larvae on your own. It is up to you on what type of larvae eradicator you will use. Choose something that is best suited for your troubles. It is also important to clean out your pool regularly, instead of waiting for the problem to be worse. If the mosquito situation is not something easy for you to handle, you can call professional to check it for you. But if you can prevent or lessen the trouble by yourself, there are a lot of home remedies that you can do. If you check and clean your pool regularly, this will lessen the hassle of cleaning the pool for a long time especially when you are so excited on jumping in the pool when it’s burning out there. Everyone wants to feel refreshed, so clean your pool now and go and enjoy your swim with no uninvited guests that can potentially harm you.
So we hope this guide as to how to get rid of mosquito larvae in pools has helped. To the next time!
