There are many reasons to keep your pool clean and free of pests like worms, but one of the most important is that they can pose a health risk. Worms in your pool water will not only make it less appealing for swimming but also increase the chance of contamination.
In this article, I will take you through how you identify when worms are a problem and provide some simple steps on how to remove them from your pool so that you can enjoy it worry-free.
First Things First, How Do Warms Enter A Swimming Pool?
Even though these nightcrawlers prefer to stay buried in moist ground, chewing away organic matter, at times when the outside temperatures are a bit cooler or after heavy rains, they tend to crawl out and look around.
If you have landscaping around the swimming pool, the worms can wander around it, especially on the pool deck. And since they don’t have a poor sense of direction, they will often fall into the pool water where they will be trapped.
So, Should You be worried about Worms in Your Pool?
No, worms aren’t harmful to your pool. They can be beneficial to keep in the ground. They help aerate the soil and help to break down organic material like dead leaves or plant debris – they get rid of them! These little guys eat up all that decomposing matter in your backyard, which can be turned into rich compost soil for your garden.
Worms in the ground do more than break down organic material; they also help to fertilize and soften up hard-packed dirt like clay soils with their poop (I promise it doesn’t smell bad!). They leave behind castings that can be beneficial to plants.
Worms in the pool are a pretty common thing. Worms can end up in swimming pools for many reasons, and most often, it’s because they’re attracted to organic matter that has fallen into or is floating on top of your water. That includes things like leaves, algae blooms (especially dead ones), paper products, bird poop, and dirt clods–basically anything that isn’t chlorine-based.
When Are They a Problem?
Even though worms are generally harmless, they can at times become a problem. The worms can:
1. Turn Your Swimming Pool Nasty
Worms are slimy, and they wiggle. Both of those things can be scary to look at, especially if you’re new to swimming pool ownership.
What’s more, they can sometimes be seen as a sign of dirt or “uncleanliness” in the pool, which might make you worry about other potential problems.
2. Clog Your Pool’s Filtration System
If they’re in the water, they can contribute to a buildup of organic material on your filter. That isn’t good because it reduces the efficiency of your pump and requires more maintenance for you.
The worst part is that these worms are very susceptible to chlorine–just one or two exposures will kill them off. If you see lots of dead worms floating around after shocking, this might be why.
It also means their decomposing bodies could lead to an algae bloom if there isn’t enough chlorine present to keep up with demand – especially right after shocking when everything has been killed off but not yet filtered out through backwashing/cleaning cycles.
How to Remove Worms from Your Pool
Introduction: You will inevitably find a worm in your pool at some point. You might want to remove the worms as soon as possible, so they don’t creep the simmers and turn your swimming pool nasty. Here are various ways you can remove the worms from your swimming pool.
1) Use a Skimmer Net
This is one of the most efficient ways to remove worms from your pool. The skimmer net will trap any worm that comes into contact with it.
So, all you have to do is skim the water’s surface and collect the collected leaves in a bucket or plastic bag for disposal later on after removing them out of their nets. This way, you won’t touch any part of them, which means no mess.
This method will also minimize the number of leaves in your pool. It’s also a great way to take care of this problem without spending too much money on expensive cleaners, which you might not need at all if the number of worms in the water is limited.
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2) Shock the Pool
Shocking the pool is another way to remove worms from your swimming pool. You can do this by adding chlorine in massive amounts and letting it sit overnight. This will kill any insect that comes into contact with it, and you won’t find any worm there anymore the next morning when you wake up for a swim.
The most significant advantage of shocking the water is that it kills all kinds of bugs, including mosquitoes which means no more bites while enjoying an evening swim in backyard pools or at hotels during summertime.
3) Vacuum them out of your pool.
Once you have that initial portion of worms out, it is time to use a pool vacuum and suck up the rest. You want to run the vacuum to waste to avoid discharging the worms back into your pool.
You can also attach it to the skimmer so that you can suck up the worms in a more controlled manner without them going all over your pool.
You can also use a leaf vacuum with a mesh bag that allows you to catch the worms without them falling into your pool.
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And How Can You Keep Those Worms Away From Your Pool
Keeping the pool clean is everyone’s responsibility. And preventing the crawlers from entering your swimming pool can help a lot in keeping it clean and swimmable. Here are various ways you can keep the pool worms away:
1) Install a Solar Pool Cover
A solar blanket is perhaps the best way to keep out worms from your pool. It is easy and hassle-free; cover it up while you swim and uncover it when needed.
And since its installation requires laying it on the pool water surface, it will cover the entire thing preventing the worms from finding any entrance to the swimming pool.
Another thing, worms don’t love warm temperatures. So, when the solar cover warms the water, the temperature will rise, and these worms might not even come near the swimming pool.
The best part is, a solar blanket heating benefit can be beneficial for early morning and evening swimmers who don’t want a cold dip before or after work/school.
Furthermore, the purpose of installing a solar cover may be that you wanted to keep the creepy crawlers away from the swimming pool, but it can also help prevent leaves and chunks from falling off trees into the pool too.
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2) Move Your Landscaping
Similarly, you can also move your landscaping away from the pool to prevent worms. Make sure there are at least six feet of space between your swimming pool and any foliage around it, as they might be a source for those crawlers too!
The reason is crawling creatures like the moist soil, so if this soil gets wet due to rain or irrigation, it will attract them towards your property.
So now that you have moved the garden beds etc. make sure you keep them dry all day long by using drip lines on plants and mulching where needed. Also, do not overwater anything in general because moisture attracts worms just as much as dirt does.
3) Raise Your Pool Deck
A raised pool deck can also be an excellent way to prevent worms from entering the swimming pool. It will help keep all kinds of crawling creatures away with its elevation, and you are not required to do anything more than install it!
Raised decks make it hard for the worms and other crawlers to enter your swimming pool. Modern decks come in various forms, including prefabricated concrete or high-density foam panels that are easy to maintain, making them an ideal choice for keeping out those pesky worms.
4) Use Pesticides as a last resort
If you’ve tried all the above methods to try and keep the worms out of your pool, but nothing is working, there is one more thing you can try; using pesticides formulated to control the worms. I don’t recommend it, but if all else fails, it’s worth a shot.
Although pesticides are an excellent way to keep worms away from your swimming pool, make sure you use them cautiously. Make sure it does not get into the water, and if possible, do spray in the evening when there is less sunlight so that they can dry quickly before any rain comes by.
In addition, read all product labels carefully before using them, as each pesticide may vary depending on where you live and how bad your infestation problem is. And finally, always remember safety measures while spraying or getting rid of these crawlers near the pool area.
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Related Questions
Where are worms found?
Worms can be found in moist soil, under rocks, or even inside the swimming pool. They thrive in places where they have access to water and dirt, which is why it’s critical to take measures to prevent them from entering your property altogether!
How long do worms live?
Depending on the type of worm, they can live anywhere between a few days to several years. However, most pool worms are not around that long, so you don’t have much to worry about.
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