Mice in pool

[rellumd]

What is the standard protocol when you find mice in the pool?

Boost for 24 hours with the chlorinator? or just maintain it at a higher level (generally we are around 5 of higher)

We have acres of open ground around our pool and for the past few weeks we will find 2-8 mice in the filter in the morning - looking for water I guess. Any thoughts on how to control this?

Thanks

David

 

[kenmar]

I find a mouse, mole, or vole in my skimmer every other day or so.
I also am surrounded by acres of farmland.
I just get a net, fish them out and toss them into the field.

I test my water daily, and as long as my numbers are good, I do nothing else.

Note that these animals have been dead for a few hours (at most.)
If I found a rotting animal that had been in my pool for more then a day, I would shock.

 

[FinsUp]

Like Kenmar, we too are surrounded by acres of farmland, as well as a couple of ponds. Rodents in the pool hasn't been a major issue for us (although we did rescue a mole that was taking an early morning dip the other day) but we do get a lot of frogs & toads. We've had a nice spell of hot weather around here of late and so we've left the solar cover off the pool the last few nights. The other morning, after some overnight rain showers, my wife and son fished 47 dead and 6 live amphibians out of the pool. Never thought twice about taking a dip immediately following.

If you're still concerned about it though, maybe you could start putting out some pans of water for the mice, and tell all your guests to pretend the pool is Mexico...Don't Drink the Water!!! :lol:

 

[Ohm_Boy]

The purpose of the chlorine is to sanitize. When any critter goes swimming, whether mice or neighborhood kids, they're apt to bring some bacteria or other nasties with them. We want to maintain a high enough level of effective chlorine to insure a fast kill time so as to avoid person-to-person transmission of anything. Or mouse-to-person. As long as the chlorine level is good, and you don't have parasites like cryptosporidium (common in diarrhea/fecal incidents), the kill time should be quick enough to handle it. If you have a major incident, or find something rotting, as mentioned before, you will want to shock and allow time to work.
Just a mouse, or a squirrel, or maybe even a possum, if they have not been in for days, should be ok.

Naturally, if any incident makes your spouse nervous, you should shock.

 

[rellumd]

Thanks guys - the girls really did not want to swim anymore - the boy have been just fine - now it is all ours

 

[anonapersona]

See this thread http://www.troublefreepool.com/frogpocalypse-and-critter-skimmer-t23236.html?hilit=critter

 

[Melt In The Sun]

I get very little debris, so don't check my skimmer basket as often as I should When I find a mouse or chipmunk in there, I just check for CCs. Never have had any; but it takes a half hour or so for the stench to dissipate enough.

 

[bk406]

Skim it out, jump in. I had a mouse on the bottom on saturday

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Mouse on the bottom, huh? That would be a gross thing to step on. Our mice and chipmunks always float, but the snakes, lizards, scorpions, and spiders all sink. I have to search the whole pool with a dive mask before my wife will get in past the first step