Help! Raccoon Feces in the Pool 😩💩

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GlendaleMB

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Apr 5, 2022
1
Glendale CA
Also see THIS THREAD

We’ve had our in-ground pool for almost 8 years now — we just discovered what we believe is raccoon poop in the pool around the first step of our shallow end. Needless to say, we are horrified! This is actually the 2nd incident in recent weeks, however, we did not realize the first dump was poop as it appeared a greenish-blue color. We removed it using a wet vac both times. Once the 2nd incident happened, we did a Google search which quickly explained just how common it is for raccoons to poop in swimming pools! We live in an area where raccoons and other wildlife are present. We have seen the occasional raccoon in our yard before and did not mind until it began using our pool as it’s personal toilet.

We removed the feces with the wet vac as carefully as possible. We purchased a shock treatment for the water and it sounds like we need to clean/backwash the filter or even replace the cartridges. We just wanted any advice or input because we are afraid to use the pool - and thankfully it’s not quite swim season yet.

We have a trapper coming out tomorrow. We are looking into deterrent options. Any input is appreciated! Thank you.
 

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This is what the CDC says-

Raccoons and Pools | Healthy Swimming | Healthy Water | CDC

pools, spas, design and operation guidelines, disinfection and remediation guidelines, general pool disinfection, fecal contamination, surface contamination, Model Aquatic Health Code, MAHC, Pool Operator training, Certified Pool-Spa Inspector Training, CPI, prevention materials, promotion...
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. :( What a pain.

Maddie ⛳ Golf (and rain, darnit) in Augusta! :party:
 
woodyp said:
As long as the coon didn't recently visit a melted down nuclear facility.....it's survivable! Raise FC to SLAM level for your cya one time and call it good.
Click to expand...
Per the CDC: Because Baylisascaris eggs (which can be a very bad deal) are particularly tough, adding chlorine to the water will not kill them.
 
I worked at a water slide park in my younger days and yuck in pools (barf, urine, and poop) is pretty common (we announced it as “code brown” over the megaphone to a clean up crew) and not that big of a deal to work through. Just clean it up and chlorinate extra for a day or two and test to make sure chlorine is holding. No reason to be afraid of using the pool.
 
+1. About half of raccoons have the worms which lay eggs in the feces. It takes 2 to 4 weeks to become infectious, which will infect you only if ingested, and not all of those who ingest it become infected. You can drain the pool and the eggs could just as easily stick to the walls and be there for fill up. The same goes for your filter.

Chemicals don't kill them and you aren't boiling 15k (?) gallons or taking a blowtorch to your pool as reccomended by the CDC.

Raise FC to SLAM for whatever else the poops may have had brewing until you feel better about it, then, feel better about it. :)

Screenshot_20220406-110120_OneDrive.jpg
 
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I know this is kind of an older thread but just thought I would share my story,

When we moved into our first home about 6 years ago I can recall when in the middle of our first night I heard something splashing in our pool. Concerned I got out of bed and went out to the backyard only to find about 5 or 6 raccoons in our pool. All but one went running off. But one just sat there and stared at me. Confused, I just went back to bed not knowing what to do. In the morning there was feces all over the steps and in the shallow end. After finding out about the extremely dangerous roundworm carried by raccoons, I found a lot of stories of children and adults becoming permanently blind or even dead from this deadly parasite I was completely horrified. After cleaning up the feces the next morning we ran the pump for a few days straight then replaced the filters and started covering our pool every night. At the time I was a night worker working 12 hour shifts so I was able to monitor our video cameras 4 out of seven nights and patrol. The raccoons continued to come sometimes 3 to 4 times a night! We'll at that point I'd about had it so I went and bought a PCP air gun along with an air compressor and started target training. (As time went on I got to be a very good shot!) I would just stay up all night waiting for them to come so the raccoons could properly be dispatched. I can remember those mornings when me and my husband would have to get up early and bag up the dead raccoons with several layers of trash bags and dispose of them. If the raccoons weren't in our backyard they would get up on our roof and Crud up there. (Not good, so close to our ventilation where we could breath in the practically indestructible roundworm eggs!) When I would have to get up in the middle of the night to dispatch them on the roof I would have to be extremely careful not to miss and hit the solar panels.

This went on for several years and now only occasionally do we see any raccoons and when we do it's usually out in the front just passing by. It looks as though we somewhat won the war against them and now we cover out pool with just a net instead of a bulky winter cover so that our pool doesn't get too hot for comfort.

It's amazing how we will fight to keep our pools safe and sanitary and sometimes go to extremes when the situation demands it. I've always had a love for animals but there is a difference between harmless animals and life threatening varmint.


Veronica
 
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VeronicaKG said:
I know this is kind of an older thread but just thought I would share my story,

When we moved into our first home about 6 years ago I can recall when in the middle of our first night I heard something splashing in our pool. Concerned I got out of bed and went out to the backyard only to find about 5 or 6 raccoons in our pool. All but one went running off. But one just sat there and stared at me. Confused, I just went back to bed not knowing what to do. In the morning there was feces all over the steps and in the shallow end. After finding out about the extremely dangerous roundworm carried by raccoons, I found a lot of stories of children and adults becoming permanently blind or even dead from this deadly parasite I was completely horrified. After cleaning up the feces the next morning we ran the pump for a few days straight then replaced the filters and started covering our pool every night. At the time I was a night worker working 12 hour shifts so I was able to monitor our video cameras 4 out of seven nights and patrol. The raccoons continued to come sometimes 3 to 4 times a night! We'll at that point I'd about had it so I went and bought a PCP air gun along with an air compressor and started target training. (As time went on I got to be a very good shot!) I would just stay up all night waiting for them to come so the raccoons could properly be dispatched. I can remember those mornings when me and my husband would have to get up early and bag up the dead raccoons with several layers of trash bags and dispose of them. If the raccoons weren't in our backyard they would get up on our roof and Crud up there. (Not good, so close to our ventilation where we could breath in the practically indestructible roundworm eggs!) When I would have to get up in the middle of the night to dispatch them on the roof I would have to be extremely careful not to miss and hit the solar panels.

This went on for several years and now only occasionally do we see any raccoons and when we do it's usually out in the front just passing by. It looks as though we somewhat won the war against them and now we cover out pool with just a net instead of a bulky winter cover so that our pool doesn't get too hot for comfort.

It's amazing how we will fight to keep our pools safe and sanitary and sometimes go to extremes when the situation demands it. I've always had a love for animals but there is a difference between harmless animals and life threatening varmint.


Veronica
Click to expand...
What cal airgun? .177? .22?
 
I bought a Cammo .22 pellet gun for about $200. It is a break barrel and very accurate and powerful. For a raccoon a regular pellet should work. But I have to deal with Iguanas. So I bought some special “armor piercing” pellets. They have a red tip. At 25 yard (where I have the scope sighted to) Iguana and raccoons are dead meat!!!
 
GlendaleMB said:
Also see THIS THREAD

We’ve had our in-ground pool for almost 8 years now — we just discovered what we believe is raccoon poop in the pool around the first step of our shallow end. Needless to say, we are horrified! This is actually the 2nd incident in recent weeks, however, we did not realize the first dump was poop as it appeared a greenish-blue color. We removed it using a wet vac both times. Once the 2nd incident happened, we did a Google search which quickly explained just how common it is for raccoons to poop in swimming pools! We live in an area where raccoons and other wildlife are present. We have seen the occasional raccoon in our yard before and did not mind until it began using our pool as it’s personal toilet.

We removed the feces with the wet vac as carefully as possible. We purchased a shock treatment for the water and it sounds like we need to clean/backwash the filter or even replace the cartridges. We just wanted any advice or input because we are afraid to use the pool - and thankfully it’s not quite swim season yet.

We have a trapper coming out tomorrow. We are looking into deterrent options. Any input is appreciated! Thank you.
Click to expand...
Oh my goodness, I just posted about this same thing and am feeling freaked out!!! I hope we can get some answers l!!!
 
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