Outdoor Living & Lifestyles - Red worms (1/4" long) in pond filtration system

Few weeks back I installed filtration system in my new outside pond. Yesterday while cleaning the filtration system I noticed about 1/4" long dark red worms. They are only in the filtration system. I did not see any single of those in the water.

What are those and how do I get rid of them?

Goin back to the days that I had fresh water aquariums, I wonder if they could be tubifex worms. Just a guess

How do I get rid of them, without hurting my fish.

These are harmless blood worms, the larvae of the midge fly. They are a very natural occurrence in the pond and, although they aren’t very attractive, are okay to feed your fish. Once dried, they call them Tubifex Worms and sell them in pet supply stores as a fish delicacy. They do not mean you have dirty water, as they can occur in clean water, too. For control, you can buy some fish. Or, certain insecticides can be applied to the water to kill midge larvae. Shop for a larvicide.

Midge flies are fairly large and resemble mosquitos. Their wings are not scaled like the mosquito and the small mouth parts are not designed for biting people. Midges lay eggs on water. Eggs hatch in 3 days and larvae turn into midges in about 4 weeks.

Midges are attracted to lights at night and will coat the outside of homes and will enter through the tiniest crack. The fly into eyes, ears, and mouth.

As long as you have your pond to attract midge flies, you will have the red worms. Unless you plan on feeding fish, keeping water treated with larvacide will eliminate insect larvae and prevent your pond from becoming a breeding ground for midge flies, mosquitos, and other insect pests.

Bacillus thuringiensis Formulated Larvicide (Insecticide) is a bacteria that occurs naturally in the soil and produces poisons in insects. It is nontoxic to animals and humans. It is effective in water for about 48 hours. Also called B.t., it is practically nontoxic to fish. Stop by your local pet store.