SALT SYSTEM WILL KEEP THIRSTY BEES AWAY

Bees need water, too, especially during the summer months when natural sources have gone dry.

This is a perfect breeding ground for a bee’s vs. human’s conflict that may not turn out well for anyone. Exterminate the bees and run the risk of losing the pollination services that bees so eagerly provide. Let them be and run the risk of being stung, possibly multiple times.

Stan Rulapaugh of Phoenix says bees started visiting his swimming pool about a month ago. “We now have 50 to 60 in the afternoons,” he says.

The hive does not seem to be on his property, and he is worried that they might be Africanized honeybees, known for their aggressive nature.

He says friends stopped using the pool after a daughter was stung. The child will not go near the water anymore, he says.

He has tried rubbing a chlorine tablet along the water line and using wasp spray on the bees. The chlorine was ineffective, and the wasp spray took care of only those that were blasted and left an oil slick on the water.

“I’m tempted to try painting Sevin along the water line,” he says. “Perhaps a good rain will keep the bees closer to the hive.”

Sevin is a broad-spectrum insecticide which probably will not work and may poison the pool water and those using it. Besides, bees will land directly on the water.

Rulapaugh may be onto something with the rain suggestion. Bees begin harvesting water from swimming pools, fountains and birdbaths when the weather is dry. A good rain should result in enough pockets of water for the bees.

Bob Pinnick of Foothills Pest Control in Ahwatukee says the problem is especially pronounced in neighborhoods near open desert and mountain preserves, where water supplies are sparse until a monsoon storm gives those areas a good soaking.

A saltwater sanitation system, which is an alternative to the traditional chlorine system, is the only surefire solution to bees in the swimming pool, Pinnick says. Bees, he points out, hate salt, making it one product that is OK for swimmers but discouraging to bees.

Cleaning Your Pool Filter

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (D.E.) FILTERS - Your D.E. filter should be disassembled and cleaned at least once a year, but under most circumstances it should be cleaned twice a year. The elements inside consist of a series of plastic grids covered with a cheesecloth-like fabric. This fabric will collect impurities, oils, and excess D.E., which may cause your grids to clog or break, impeding the flow of the water through the filter.
After cleaning, it is advised pool water enzymes and phosphate removal liquids be added to the pool, which will help stop phosphate build-up, waterline ring, clogged filters, chemical odors, and eye irritation.
NOTE: D.E. Filter clean up is a very messy job. It is common to have a muddy grayish puddle and residue left over. A water hose can be used to spray off each grid individually. This gray residue will dissipate over time or can be sprayed down with water hose occasionally to speed up process.

SAND FILTERS - Your sand filter should be cleaned at least once a year. The sand collects impurities, oils, and excess dirt, which may cause your filter to clog or clump, impeding the flow of the water through the filter. The sand clean is done by opening the top of the filter and removing any visible clumps (most filters), and then soaking the sand separately with acid, enzymes, and filter cleaner. The cleaning solutions are backwashed out of the filter and the enzymes will stay and circulate through the pool.

CARTRIDGE FILTERS - Your cartridge filter should be cleaned at least twice per year. The paper/fiber elements collect impurities, oils, and excess dirt, which may cause your filter to clog and crush or impede the flow of the water through the filter. The filter clean is done by soaking/dipping the cartridge separately in acid, enzymes, and filter cleaner. The cleaning solutions are rinsed off with a water hose and the enzymes will stay and circulate through the pool.