GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Parks and recreation officials say they are working to get rid of a bug infestation at a Gwinnett County aquatic center after a parent recorded video of the insects while taking her child to a swimming lesson.
Officials with the Bogan Aquatic Center say the recent heavy rains are causing the bugs, many of which were cockroaches, to move inside.
Parents reacted with disgust when Channel 2’s Tom Regan showed them the phone video of black bugs crawling on the pool deck inside the aquatic center.
“The babies crawl around on the ground, and put things in their mouths. I would hate to see them put that in their mouth,” parent Katharine Geary said.
The parent who recorded the phone video and pictures to a local community app said the small cockroaches were swimming in the water, crawling around grates and the pool deck.
“I think that is a disgrace. If they are serving our community, they need to have a protocol in place,” parent Ramsey Malone said.
“They should use our entrance fees for regular pest control," Geary said.
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Regan walked into the aquatic center looking for answers but was told to call the county's parks and recreation office.
The assistant director of the parks and rec office told a complaining parent in a letter that staff were pressure-washing a mixture of chlorine and water to eradicate the bugs.
“During periods of excessive rain and humidity, these bugs are drawn to these types of areas and the staff is cognizant and working diligently to correct," the letter said.
“We hop around from neighborhood to neighborhood pools that are outdoors. We don't even see that at the outdoor pools we frequent," Malone told Regan.
“It’s got to get at a certain level for all those bugs to be inside. Outside you would expect it to a certain degree. But inside, it's got to get out of hand," Geary said.
An official with the parks and recreation department called Regan back Thursday afternoon. They said they have solved the bug problem and said it was primarily caused by the recent heavy rains.
Cox Media Group
