what are these terrible squiggly things?

[BubsMaw]

Hi,

When I went to rinse out and fill DD's paddling pool, I found it had a small stagnant pool of water in it, and the water was teeming with nasty squiggly water bugs. There are hundreds of them, little black thingies like mini tadpoles darting around. They're still in there as I can't bring myself to deal with them, I'm a bit phobic about dirt, bugs, etc. Poor DD has been instructed not to go anywhere near her paddling pool, 'til DH sorts it out!

Any idea what these are, are they harmful? I'm planning on getting DH to fix it up with dettol and a good scrub (lucky him!), but I'm also considering chucking it and getting a new one, is this advisable? I was only just commenting recently on how long it had lasted and what a good buy it had been, I'd be sad to see it go, but also I don't want the kids coming down with some waterborne disease or parasites.

Thanks!

mosquito larve (sp) Tip it out to stop them breeding and people getting bitten.

ahh we had those in ours. i just tipped it all out and gave the pool a clean and it's fine

Have you always been such a girlie?
Mosquito and midge larvae are harmless, tip them out and give the pool a rinse with dettol if you like. With your rubber gloves on and a long-handled squeegee mop.
Why that needs your DH I shudder to think.

Yup, I'm a wuss!

I'm a little happier now that I know they're just fly larvae, DH has already sorted it otherwise I might have just been able! DD has been complaining of sore tummy, and my wild imagination had me thinking 'OMG! she's prob. ingested some godawful parasites!'

So that maybe makes me girly! in order to overcompensate for this I feel I need to divulge I have a v. manly job, think pipefitter or similar

Haha, nobody has ever called me girly before, you should see me in RL!

If you add a bit of bubble bath when she's playing, the bugs hate it and won't breed in it.

The perils of the great outdoors (the back garden) actually I do sympathise as until you see this you do don't realise what harmless little bugs exist all round us. Why you would consider chucking a perfectly sound plastic shell though is beyond me... amazing how the human race has survived this long!

if you put a drop of cooking oil on the top it kills them or just pour them on the soil for the resident robin