How do you keep the rodents out of your pool?

[chris1gill]

OK, I'm just disgusted... we opened the pool, and what do I find in it yesterday? A floating squirrel

My DH is just out there skimming it, and what happens?? Two chipmunks are running after eachother & what happens? One falls in & is trying to swim in the pool... he was there and scooped him out, if he hadn't been there, the chipmunk would have suffered the same fate

What do we do? We just bought the house and haven't had our own pool before, it's an inground, is there some little fence or something you're supposed to put around them??

I can't believe I could face this every day of the summer, what are these things? Stupid?

 

[agentpleakley]

DOGS. Seriously -- this is the only thing that I have different from my neighbors that keeps "animals" away from the pool, away from my flowers and out of my garden. It has to be the big mouths of 3 barking dogs.

At least it wasn't a snake. My friend opened the lid to the skimmer and found a snake curled up in there.

 

[chris1gill]

DOGS. Seriously -- this is the only thing that I have different from my neighbors that keeps "animals" away from the pool, away from my flowers and out of my garden. It has to be the big mouths of 3 barking dogs.

At least it wasn't a snake. My friend opened the lid to the skimmer and found a snake curled up in there.

I'd rather have the snake to be honest.... we can't actually get a dog Is there anything I can put around the pool, like a rodent catcher or something? I can't believe I'm asking this question DH has to go to the pool store today with a sample of the water (we've just opened it Monday) we'll see if they have suggestions...

This isn't exactly what I had in mind.....

 

[SandraVB79]

Provide life vests in rodent sizes??

 

[agentpleakley]

Well, I could tell you what my mother did in the 90s to keep the little buggers out of all of her hanging baskets but then I'd have all the PETA people flaming me.

Nothing deters the squirrels around here. They are bold little suckers. They can out maneuver the squirrel-resistance bird feeder in my yard. Squirrels are EVIL.

 

[ocd4disney]

I've never had a pool so I don't have an actual tried and true answer, but maybe you could put something at the edge in the pool that would enable the squirrel to climb out? Like a little squirrel safety ladder or something? (that made me laugh typing it, but I am actually being serious)

 

[chris1gill]

Well, I could tell you what my mother did in the 90s to keep the little buggers out of all of her hanging baskets but then I'd have all the PETA people flaming me.

Nothing deters the squirrels around here. They are bold little suckers. They can out maneuver the squirrel-resistance bird feeder in my yard. Squirrels are EVIL.

Oh this is NOT the news I wanted to hear... so there's no little siren thing only they can hear that will keep any rodent away... I despise squirrels with the worst passion, my hate for squirrel's is only exceeded by my hate for mice. Oddly I like chipmunks... poor little chippy would have drowned out there if DH hadn't been RIGHT there... and how can they be stupid to just jump right the heck in?? What is wrong with them???

Is this going to happen everyday? I do not recall talking with any of our friends who have pools that have had this happen on a regular basis... this is the second day in a row & it's only been open a bit under 4 days

I like the idea of the life vests

 

[chris1gill]

I've never had a pool so I don't have an actual tried and true answer, but maybe you could put something at the edge in the pool that would enable the squirrel to climb out? Like a little squirrel safety ladder or something? (that made me laugh typing it, but I am actually being serious)

This is what DH just said... I mean little chippy was trying to swim & if the ladder had been put in yet, perhaps he could have gotten himself out? I've no idea? I hope so, seriously I do not think I can keep looking out on my deck and seeing floating creatures in my pool, it is disgusting...

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

We usually find field mice in our skimmers - at least one or two a week.

We've also had snakes, frogs, some kind of salamander type thingy (never saw one before - haven't seen one sinc), a rat and a chipmunk or two.

Never a squirrel - but now that I've typed that, I'm sure it will change. LOL.

I don't do pest removal. It's my dh's job. I freak out. That's my job. He takes the net thing with the long handle, gets them and dumps them over the fence in the woods (there's no one behind us - otherwise that would be rude).

I know - it's really absolutely gross. Then I can't swim because I think there was death in the pool - oh, where my mind goes. Yuckers, yuckers...

 

[agentpleakley]

I freak out. That's my job. ...

Mine too.

Oh and my sister, who lives TX, has a turtle who just won't stay out of their pool. She says they will take him out and the next day he is right back in there.

 

[BunsenH]

This is what DH just said... I mean little chippy was trying to swim & if the ladder had been put in yet, perhaps he could have gotten himself out? I've no idea? I hope so, seriously I do not think I can keep looking out on my deck and seeing floating creatures in my pool, it is disgusting...

I tried this solution for a few years. Dangling a couple braided ropes into the pool near the skimmer and the stairs. I figured that if they eventually got near the ropes, they could climb out. The kill rate declined, but was not eliminated. Whenever I had to fish a body out of the skimmer, I said, "Stupid animal, use the rope!!"

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

I tried this solution for a few years. Dangling a couple braided ropes into the pool near the skimmer and the stairs. I figured that if they eventually got near the ropes, they could climb out. The kill rate declined, but was not eliminated. Whenever I had to fish a body out of the skimmer, I said, "Stupid animal, use the rope!!"

Um, tag fairy, we have ourselves a winner here!!!

 

[BunsenH]

Um, tag fairy, we have ourselves a winner here!!!

Ha!...maybe that will be my 1000th post reward.

(Now back to animal rescue suggestions.)

 

[Kae]

Last year we took my friends solar cover off & there was a dead possum, it was so gross all bloated, eyes bugggin out.

Kae

 

[chris1gill]

I tried this solution for a few years. Dangling a couple braided ropes into the pool near the skimmer and the stairs. I figured that if they eventually got near the ropes, they could climb out. The kill rate declined, but was not eliminated. Whenever I had to fish a body out of the skimmer, I said, "Stupid animal, use the rope!!"

What did you use to dangle the rope from? I'm willing to give it a go....

Kae, I totally DID NOT need that imagery....

 

[MosMom]

If they keep drowning, eventually there won't be any left.

My friend had a dead possum in their pool cover last summer. It got lodged inside the mechanical area where the pool cover is pulled into and they had to scoop it out.

 

[Boots]

We have had an inground pool for about 25 years. We have had a million moles (dead), a million field mice (dead), 3 bats (dead), a million tree frogs (dead and alive), 3 snakes (all alive and one was a copper head), 1 dead rabbit, numerous very alive salamanders that are hard to catch, four alive snapping turtles, and two very alive skunks. We have found nothing to keep various creatures out. We keep an old piece of rolled up carpet to get the skunks out. It is about 12 feet long and about a foot wide. Unroll it with the end in the pool and anchor down the outside part. They will eventually grab it and crawl out and on their way. We are very careful when we open the skimmer and empty the basket as turtles and snakes are usually there. Tree frogs I just scoop out with my hands. Had some friends who once had a run away grown hog in theirs. Had to call the fire department on that one. Good luck as we have found nothing to keep anything out.

 

[BunsenH]

What did you use to dangle the rope from? I'm willing to give it a go....

Kae, I totally DID NOT need that imagery....

Rope 1: My skimmer cover has a hole in the middle. I hung a rope from there that dangled in front of the skimmer opening.

Rope 2: My stairs have a railing down the middle. I hung a rope from there that rested on the top step and reached into the water.

I have seen moles, frogs, a snake, chipmonks, mice, bunny, bird, squirrel, etc. So far this year, 2 moles (good riddance).

 

[chris1gill]

Rope 1: My skimmer cover has a hole in the middle. I hung a rope from there that dangled in front of the skimmer opening.

Rope 2: My stairs have a railing down the middle. I hung a rope from there that rested on the top step and reached into the water.

I have seen moles, frogs, a snake, chipmonks, mice, bunny, bird, squirrel, etc. So far this year, 2 moles (good riddance).

Thanks, I'm going to give this a go and hope for a lower death rate, from the sounds of it, it just sounds like my friends haven't been very forthcoming with their critter problems in their pools!!! I'm going to have to start calling to demand answers LOL....

 

[lillygator]

where do you people live?

We have an ingroud pool, no screen and we (knock on wood) don't have critters! Not even a snake - although they are in our yard all the time.