Official 2021 Pool Critters Thread

[Shirker]

Common enough, but the first snail I have found in the pool. Much better than some critters for sure!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Its Huge!

 

[markayash]

Its Huge!

What I thought, mine are usually tiny.

 

[Shirker]

We had some storms last night with heavy rain. This poor guy must have had a miserable night.

 

[markayash]

This person is a alligator in their pop yesterday. it’s on next door so not sure if you can see it

Alligator in our pool this morning.... Security is on the way....

nextdoor.com

 

[VinceL]

This year has been very unusual as far as critters in the pool. In past years we have had frogs and a few snakes. One winter some critter got into the pool under the cover. When we went to open the pool, we pulled out clumps of fur, tissue and lots of teeth.

For the first time, we had a turtle in the pool about a week ago. The shell was about 5 inches in diameter...a pretty good-sized fellow. I took him out of the pool and put him in the shade near the woods at the back of our property. Three days later I went out to the pool to bring in our robot, and there was a skunk swimming in the pool! I used my phone to check online for how to remove a skunk from a pool and found several approaches. I used the pool brush to get under him to get him to hold on, and I slowly dragged him to the step at the shallow end where the water is only a couple of inches deep. I thought after he rested for awhile he would see that he could just hop out of the pool. He was apparently totally exhausted so I used the brush to lift him out of the pool. After about an hour he moved over to a better shaded area. He laid there for many hours...we thought he might be dead. The next morning he was gone; I guess he regained his strength. Today I went to clean out the skimmer. There was a dead skunk in it...definitely a different one.

I hope this is the end of our 2021 critter encounters.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

You need a FrogLog. Since getting ours we haven't had anything other than 2 mysterious crawdads in the pool. No more floating critters in the skimmer, ugh.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

@YippeeSkippy , why use a frog log when you have an auto-cover?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Because the cover isn't always closed, and when it is even tiny critters seem to find the retracting end and sneak in.

 

[markayash]

This year has been very unusual as far as critters in the pool. In past years we have had frogs and a few snakes. One winter some critter got into the pool under the cover. When we went to open the pool, we pulled out clumps of fur, tissue and lots of teeth.

For the first time, we had a turtle in the pool about a week ago. The shell was about 5 inches in diameter...a pretty good-sized fellow. I took him out of the pool and put him in the shade near the woods at the back of our property. Three days later I went out to the pool to bring in our robot, and there was a skunk swimming in the pool! I used my phone to check online for how to remove a skunk from a pool and found several approaches. I used the pool brush to get under him to get him to hold on, and I slowly dragged him to the step at the shallow end where the water is only a couple of inches deep. I thought after he rested for awhile he would see that he could just hop out of the pool. He was apparently totally exhausted so I used the brush to lift him out of the pool. After about an hour he moved over to a better shaded area. He laid there for many hours...we thought he might be dead. The next morning he was gone; I guess he regained his strength. Today I went to clean out the skimmer. There was a dead skunk in it...definitely a different one.

I hope this is the end of our 2021 critter encounters.

Weird year for sure, I killed a 4’ copper head 2’ from my front door. My little dog saw it but was smart enough to stay back.

 

[markayash]

@YippeeSkippy , why use a frog log when you have an auto-cover?

Frog logs help. Has cut down a lot of what i have found in my pool. Thought about putting an outdoor Wyze camera near it to see if I can see anything climbing out

 

[S-Merry]

We had a young crow fall in ours last week and its parents were freaking out. My husband jumped in with all his clothes on, scooped up the crow with a net, carried it out to a shady spot in the yard, and then brought it some dog food and water (all while the parents kept going nuts). The parents kept watch for an hour or so before the the little one was back up and moving.

I ordered two frog logs while my husband was changing out of his wet clothes. The crows are happy with us now (we've fed them for years), but I don't want to get on their bad side if one of their kids falls in again and we aren't there to save it.

 

[markayash]

Weird year for sure, I killed a 4’ copper head 2’ from my front door. My little dog saw it but was smart enough to stay back.

Once I verified it was a copper head I chopped him up with a shovel

 

[DorsalSpine]

Even with an auto cover the mice and similar sized critters still end up in the skimmer basket. I took one out yesterday. This year has been pretty good so far. The opossum last year was a surprise.

 

[Snoobug]

We have had a mouse and too many little frogs... I have a frog log but haven't unboxed it...

 

[Newdude]

We have had a mouse and too many little frogs

How awesome is that to say ? You have visitors.

In. Your. POOL !!!!!!

 

[Deb04]

Frog logs are the best. We’ve only had 1 or 2 dead critters since we started using them 5 or 6 years ago. Before that, it was almost a daily occurrence.

 

[Snoobug]

Preparing the frog log. What did you use as weights? Rocks? My husband thinks it's a stage to train the frogs to entertain us...

 

[YippeeSkippy]

The FrogLog comes with a weighted flap to rest on the coping. The rest hangs an inch or two below that.

 

[Snoobug]

The FrogLog comes with a weighted flap to rest on the coping. The rest hangs an inch or two below that.

Yes but mine didn't come with weights, it was an empty velcro pouch. I just filled with gravel.