Worms in the pool?! Yes, that'due south actually a thing.

While worms can be beneficial when they're in your garden and soil, the concluding matter yous need is to be fishing them out of your pool, or worse, peeling them off your trunk while swimming.

So how can you become worms out of your puddle, and keep them out?

How Different Worms Get Into Your Pool

worms in pool

Outset, we need to hash out how worms even get into your pool in the start identify.

This largely depends on the type of worm in question, of which there are 3 types of to exist aware of — earthworms, bloodworms (ruby-red worms), and horsehair worms (Gordian worms).

Earthworms

Earthworms are the most common and probably the ones you're most familiar with. They look like… well, regular ol' worms.

They're usually constitute in garden soil or in the basis, but they too like to seek out moisture when the air is cool. This is why you come across them come up out and slither beyond your driveway on rainy days.

When they end up in your pool, there's a expert chance they made the trek from the landscaping around the pool. They autumn in and go stuck because they tin't go out on their own.

Bloodworms

Bloodworms (redworms) can also exist plant in pools. They're carmine in colour (it's not just a fancy name), and are actually the larvae class of the Chironomid midge fly.

Midge flies use still, stagnant water as their breeding footing. They lay their eggs on the surface of the water, and within 2 to three days the eggs enter the larvae (bloodworm) phase.

Every bit gross equally this all is, bloodworms are actually harmless to humans (though they have been known to seize with teeth), and are a food source for fish when in their natural environment.

Horsehair Worms

Horsehair worms (Gordian worms) are the third type of worm you may find in your pond pigsty.

These worms resemble a long, thin strand of hair and squirm so much they twist themselves upwardly, resembling a ball-similar, Gordian knot. They can be constitute in a range of water environments, and can also alive in very moist soil.

Fear not though, horsehair worms cannot parasitize vertebrates even if you ingest them – although we wouldn't recommend testing that theory.

Are Worms A Problem?

Worms are definitely a trouble if they creep you out and y'all don't want to share your puddle with them.

But as for whether or not they tin harm you or the pool itself, the respond is no, they're pretty much harmless. Worms mainly like to just float in the water and be a icky nuisance.

The only exception to this is bloodworms which may bite you if you come in contact, only even that is rare and not serious enough to warrant a business concern.

How To Remove Worms From Your Pool

Unfortunately, this problem doesn't accept a perfect solution, and there's no chemical repellents yous can add to the water to deter worms from hanging around your pool.

However, here are a few ideas on how to remove them one time they get in.

Shock The Pool

Shocking is the process of mass dosing a pool with chlorine to oxidize chloramines (combined chlorine) and kill off leaner in the water.

This mass dose increases the free chlorine level while depleting the combined chlorine level.

Shocking should impale near of the worms in the pool, but you lot should still clean the pool the sometime fashioned way so the shock is more than constructive.

If you only have a few worms, shocking may not be necessary, although it'south still proficient practice to rid the water of any leaner they may have contaminated the pool with.

Pool shock is pretty inexpensive, costing around $v per one lb. pocketbook.

Use A Skimmer Cyberspace

This will be the easiest way to get them out of your puddle.

You tin can use your skimmer net to scoop them off the surface of the water. A leaf net also works, especially if yous need to scoop the worms at deeper depths, or off the floor of the pool.

Whatever respectable pool owner should already ain a skimmer net (puddle shaming is a matter yous know), but if you demand to buy one they price around $15. Leaf nets volition set you back up to $30.

Suck Them Upwards With Vacuum

Sometimes worms won't be easy to scoop up from the floor of the pool with a net, and a pool vacuum (or cleaner) will exist needed to remove them.

The vacuum will attach to your skimmer and the worms volition be sucked up and defenseless in the skimmer basket. Vacuuming them out will also give you the best chance at communicable all of them.

You can also use a leafage vacuum, which comes with an attached mesh handbag, to catch all the worms. Be aware of the type of vacuum you're using in your pool as some tin damage frail finishes like vinyl-liner pools.

Pool vacuums range wildly in toll, with some equally low as $200, and others over $chiliad.

How To Forbid Worms In Your Pool

Keeping on summit of maintaining all aspects of your pool is important, and y'all can take preventative measures to keep worms from entering the water.

Utilise A Pool Encompass

Essentially working like a chapeau for your pool, adding a cover tin can help keep worms and other droppings at bay.

  • Wintertime cover. If you accept a specific puddle flavour where you live, you'll know all about winter covers. They are basically a tarp that goes over the pool and prevents debris from entering it during the winter months. This is important and so that you don't take to do a huge amount of h2o cleaning when you reopen the pool. Winter covers last up to 3 seasons and cost around $150.
  • Condom comprehend. A safety cover fits tightly over the pool and is anchored to the pool deck with tie downwardly straps. It comes in two variations: heavy vinyl or mesh. The vinyl version requires a pump to move water off it to prevent damage, while the mesh version will withal take hold of plenty of debris while letting water laissez passer through it. Safety covers have a significant cost between $1000 and $3000, but can also terminal a lot longer than winter covers.
  • Solar cover. A solar comprehend is used to assistance keep heat trapped in the pool h2o. They resemble giant sheets of chimera wrap and sometimes come on a spool for piece of cake deployment. Using a solar cover means you'll run your pool heater less as they harness the dominicus to provide oestrus. Costing between $75 and $500, a solar comprehend on the pool's surface volition help take hold of debris then you can easily clean information technology off the cover instead of fishing through your puddle.

Continue Your H2o Circulating

Pool water needs to be fully cycled at least one time a day, and doing this for at least eight hours can help keep worms out as well.

As mentioned earlier, midge flies use stagnant water as their breeding ground. Keeping the h2o circulated for long periods of time keeps it moving around, and will deter the flies from laying blood worm eggs on the surface.

Check The Surrounding Area

The design of your backyard tin play a major role in preventing pool worms.

If you lot accept a garden or soil close to the puddle, you're increasing your chances of finding gross things in the h2o.

Keeping landscaping and soil divide from the puddle area will help, as will raising the edge of the pool and so it's harder for worms to get on to the deck and fall in.

Worm Your Mode Out!

While harmless, no one wants to jump into their puddle and find a bunch of worms floating around.

By taking preventative measures and employing our removal techniques, you lot should accept minimal issues with these slimy water lovers.