Dark Green/Gray Worms Found in Pool Could be Either Cutworms, Armyworms or Sawfly Larvae

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“Finding these worms in the pool — wondering how/what to treat to get rid of them”, states this reader in her submission. She asks about these dark green/gray worm-like organisms pictured below.

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“We live in Rockwall, TX, just north and east of Dallas. Picture attached. Thanks in advance for your help!”

From the picture alone, we think these are probably cutworms. This is based on their green-gray coloration, their bulbous black heads, and their size.

Likewise, they could also be sawfly larvae or armyworms, as the description above does also apply to species from these groups.

In any case, we think these are some type of caterpillar (or caterpillar-like organism, in the case of the sawfly larvae), and that they ended up in the pool by accident. They do not resemble any common aquatic worms that we know of. If our reader has any trees or plants whose branches are above the pool, then it is likely that this is where the creatures are coming from: they probably all fell into the pool from a gust of wind or perhaps from a branch breaking off.

Cutworms, sawfly larvae and armyworms are all herbivores, meaning they only eat plants, and they are not harmful to humans or pets whatsoever, so our reader need not worry about that.

Of course, it is nonetheless unpleasant to find a bunch of worm-like critters in one’s pool, and we understand that.

Our recommendation is that, if there are branches hanging over the pool, then our reader should perhaps move the plant so the branches are not hanging over the pool. Of course, if it is a tree, this is a little more difficult. In that case, there might not be that much she can do besides get a pool cover.

Now, if there is not a plant or tree with overhanging branches, and/or our reader does have a pool cover and has anyway been finding these creatures in her pool, then we do not know why these caterpillars would have ended up in the water. Perhaps their eggs were laid on the underside of the pool cover and all hatched there? Our guess is as good as anyone else’s.

Regardless, their presence in the water is more a nuisance than a threat, so removing them from the pool should suffice in solving the problem (provided there are no overhanging branches, of course), as these caterpillars do not look like aquatic ones.

To conclude, we are not exactly sure what these creatures that our reader found in her pool are, though their physical characteristics point to cutworms, armyworms or sawfly larvae. Perhaps we would have an easier time identifying them more specifically if they were not wet and the image was sharper. Nonetheless, we hope this article proves somewhat helpful, and we wish our reader the very best!

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Summary
Dark Green/Gray Worms Found in Pool Could be Either Cutworms, Armyworms or Sawfly Larvae
Article Name
Dark Green/Gray Worms Found in Pool Could be Either Cutworms, Armyworms or Sawfly Larvae
Description
"Finding these worms in the pool — wondering how/what to treat to get rid of them", states this reader in her submission. She asks about these dark green/gray worm-like organisms pictured below.
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Author: Worm Researcher Anton

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