Insects and Rats and Snakes. Oh My!

With the recent drought and subsequent rain-fest brought on by Mother Nature, we received a lot of questions regarding how to control pests around your pool. During a drought, pests are simply looking for water and don’t mean to die in your pool. However, once they die, they can cause chemical imbalances and other issues for your pool.

How can you help prevent these intrusions?

If you have seen rodents or other pests in or around your pool area – get a cat. Okay, just kidding. Here are the easy ways to prevent intrusions:

  1.  If you have a screen surrounding the pool area, check all of the screen panels to make sure that the spline (the flat rope material that keeps the screens onto the frame) is intact and hasn’t been pulled out by an adventurous rodent. Look for tiny tears in your screens and fix these immediately. A mouse or snake can squeeze in the smallest of holes. This also applies to the “roof” of your screened enclosure. Have you ever seen a fruit rat or a snake crawling along the top? We have, so make sure you cut off this access. If you have any doors in your screen enclosure, double check that the “rubber sweep” at the bottom of each door is in good condition.  Make any repairs as soon as possible.
  2. Do you have a wood pile, recycling bin or other random building materials in your yard? Rodents will see these as an escape from the heat and build their nests under these areas. Purchase some containers that can be used as storage and get these off of the ground. For example, you can make a simple wood pile holder by using bricks or pavers as a base and assembling the wood in a “crossing” method that allows the wood to be protected without creating a happy home for the local squirrels.
  3. Do you have trash cans in your backyard? Make sure these have a locking mechanism so rodents won’t be able to access these areas.
  4. If you don’t have a screened enclosure, look at purchasing a pool cover that perfectly fits your pool. Every night, make sure this is in place as these are their hours of exploration.

If you find a dead rodent in your pool:

  1. Remove it immediately and dispose of it in a trash can to prevent the spread of germs.
  2. Shock your pool with chlorine according to the instructions given to you by your local pool supply store. Make sure you run your pool system while you are shocking it to remove all potential-illness germs.
  3. Thoroughly wash your filter.
  4. This should remove any bacteria including Giardia and others.

At Tropical Pools and Pavers, we understand that the occasional rodent will fall into your pool. However, quick removal and shock treatment should fix any issues. If you have any questions regarding your pool, please feel free to contact us by calling 727.474.2142.

Happy Swimming!