Mosquito Larvae in My Pool!

As a general rule, if it’s nice enough to spend time outside in St. Louis, it’s nice enough for insect pests like mosquitoes. These bloodsucking nuisances are the most active from April to September, feeding and breeding most frequently at dawn and dusk. You’re probably already familiar with some methods to deter mosquitos, like keeping your yard trimmed and removing or covering any source of standing water. But, with that in mind, you may wonder – does your backyard pool run the risk of attracting mosquitoes? What can you do if that’s the case, and who can you call to clear or help prevent a mosquito infestation? The experts at Bug Out are here to weigh in.

What Attracts Mosquitoes to Swimming Pools?

Mosquitos are drawn to warm weather and moisture – specifically in the form of standing water. The source could be as large as a storage of rainwater or as small as a puddle in the bottom of a bucket. While pools may look, at first glance, to be giant containers of standing water, there’s more there than meets the eye. There’s a filter that circulates the water supply, as well as chemicals that treat the water while also slowing the growth of mosquito larvae. These are a fraction of what goes into pool maintenance throughout the year. The problem comes when you stray from that schedule of care and upkeep. Maybe your pool filter breaks, and you forget to fix it, or you allow leaves and other outdoor debris to gather on the surface of the water. This is when your pool goes from an amenity to standing water, and that’s when it’ll start to attract mosquitoes.

Once these pests lay their eggs, mosquitos will hatch fairly rapidly. If you haven’t used your pool in some time, you might see the larvae – often called “wigglers” – swimming on the surface. Obviously, this isn’t a pleasant sight for anyone. So, how can we prevent this?

How to Keep Mosquitos Out of Pools

There are a variety of strategies you can take to keep mosquitos from laying eggs in your pool. These include: 

• Clear debris on a consistent basis to keep mosquitoes from breeding underneath.
• Keep the filter on all year long, even in the cold season when you aren’t using it.
• Cover your pool with a tightly secured cover free of rips and holes. Make sure the cover is free of debris or standing water.
• Dismantle your pool if you do not intend on using it again.

If there are already mosquito larvae in your pool, there are chemicals you can buy that’ll kill them without tainting the surrounding water. The most common are Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Granule Bits, both of which contain the bacterium BTI, which is formulated to specifically target the larvae of the mosquito, blackfly, or fungus gnat. And if you want to add further security for your property, you can work with a qualified exterminator to treat your home for mosquitoes. That’s where Bug Out can help.

Bug Out for Seasonal Mosquito Services

The best way to seek treatment for mosquito season in St. Louis is to get started early and with the right people. The team at Bug Out has been working on year-round mosquito control since 1963, and we understand what’s required to customize a treatment plan that fits our clients on a case-by-case basis. You deserve more than a bug-free dip in the pool; you should be able to enjoy your yard throughout the entirety of the warm season. That’s exactly what we can promise you, and all you need to do is call us to get started.