How do you keep the rodents out of your pool?

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

No rodents (AFAIK) in the HOA pool, but I have found (in the skimmer basket):
a soda can full of water and gravel
a plastic Ziploc bag
half of a sandwich
any number of hair ties, rubber bands, whatever you call them
a pair of boys swim trunks, sized 24 mos
and...
one frog.

Frog looked at me like, "What took ya so long?"

 

[FergieTCat]

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

Your husband is my hero -- he saved Chip and Dale!!

 

[PghLybrt]

Be grateful its only rodents. We get called to get out anything from family cats and dogs to deer.
Just make sure you sanitize it properly. Take the water sample about elbow deep (not off the top, you get a false read) and don't let it sit long. If you have a smell left over from bigger...um....visitors you can use a charcoal product to take out the smell.

 

[chisnpeke]

I found a floating bird in our pool yesterday. It's DISGUSTING! I don't know how else to keep them away...we have dogs outside that kill small rodents so I guess that has helped keep them away.

 

[JessicaR]

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 agree about the dogs. We still have the rare chipmunk incidents though. I would freak if a snake were in one of my filter baskets!

 

[BunsenH]

FYI...things that don't work.


Signs: "Only Humans and Dogs Accompanied by Humans"
Plastic owls
Leaving dead animals about as an example to the others
Loud Music
Placing a small plastic pool nearby and designating it for animlas only

Any others?

 

[tiggger1]

Kinda off topic but I keep finding dead mice in my horses/goats water buckets..One winter I had 4 floating...

now i tie a rope from the handle.. it helps them climb out..

 

[chris1gill]

I found a floating bird in our pool yesterday. It's DISGUSTING! I don't know how else to keep them away...we have dogs outside that kill small rodents so I guess that has helped keep them away.

A bird? Are you kidding? Seriously, how the heck did a bird get in your pool??

We live in the NE for someone who asked, we have woods behind our house, but neighbors on either side and a six foot fence around the property.... maybe I should fill all the tiny little holes they get through, although they'll just dig new ones.

My MIL pointed out we also have bunnies that come flying threw, I am PRAYING to god I don't find one in the pool, I was be so awfully sad...

Fergie, he did, he saved Chip DH is a savior of the little guy today.... he didn't even leave the yard afterwards, just stayed in the back towards the fence chirping away, likely drying off....

PghLybrt we are concerned about critters that might wind up in the pool while we are on vacation, I have NO idea what that would do to the water while we are gone for two weeks, I'm a bit worried about it, I don't know if we should recover the pool? Any idea?

 

[sunsprinkle24]

FYI...things that don't work.


Signs: "Only Humans and Dogs Accompanied by Humans"
Plastic owls
Leaving dead animals about as an example to the others
Loud Music
Placing a small plastic pool nearby and designating it for animlas only

Any others?

 

[chris1gill]

Made me laugh as well

On the plus side, I've gone out and looked...first, no more dead critters, secondly, I can see the bottom end of the shallow side of the pool... I can't figure out why it's not clearer?? Anyone have any suggestions? We shocked it several times, DH vacuumed the bottom this morning, and he's brought a water sample to the pool store, looked like the PH might be low... we're newbies at it, so any suggestions are helpful!

 

[undertheradar]

How about getting cats and putting them on a remote control boat? You could get them waterguns and they can squirt the intruders!

 

[4 Little Bears]

This thread is hilarious!

But it is making me rethink whether I want to have a pool. I didn't realize that animals would like to go swimming too...

 

[agentpleakley]

This thread is hilarious!

But it is making me rethink whether I want to have a pool. I didn't realize that animals would like to go swimming too...

It is, isn't it -- or at least until you are the one finding the dead bloated possum floating in your pool. I think the TAG FAIRY NEEDS TO PAY A VISIT TO THIS THREAD

 

[MosMom]

How about getting cats and putting them on a remote control boat? You could get them waterguns and they can squirt the intruders!

This is the best idea yet.

 

[sunsprinkle24]

This thread is hilarious!

But it is making me rethink whether I want to have a pool. I didn't realize that animals would like to go swimming too...

Yeah, no kidding. I always thought I would like to have an inground pool someday. We live next to a field too, so I can just imagine what we would find!

 

[chris1gill]

Yeah, no kidding. I always thought I would like to have an inground pool someday. We live next to a field too, so I can just imagine what we would find!

Be scared, be very very scared.... I never imagined such things... this is just the tip of the iceberg.... I've been watching the pool like a hawk all day waiting for the next critter to take a plunge so I can go rescue it!!

How pathetic am I (scared is more like it, I don't like these critters, except chipmunks)

 

[BunsenH]

I wonder if critters are large enough to set off some of those floating pool alarms meant for (human) kids? Hmmmm

 

[chris1gill]

I wonder if critters are large enough to set off some of those floating pool alarms meant for (human) kids? Hmmmm

I bet squirrels are?

 

[BunsenH]

Sounds like an experiment for the "Mythbusters".

If critters don't set it off, they can try a stick of TNT!

 

[PghLybrt]

I wonder if critters are large enough to set off some of those floating pool alarms meant for (human) kids? Hmmmm

They are and that is why most people do not use them.