Hi all, long time no post but I'm always reading the boards. Yesterday I found what I'm pretty sure to be Raccoon poop on my top step as is their MO and of course reading the CDC website about this freaks me out to no end about their Roundworms that can kill and are resistant to Chlorine. I managed to scoop it into a baggie and seal it mostly in tact but I threw it away because I didn't think of taking it to a vet to be tested and this is before I searched the internet. Of course I've superchlorinated and run my pump through DE for about 24 hours. But I have to back wash on my lawn and what they say about Raccoon roundworms living through anything and everything just gets my OCD going crazy. The CDC recommends bagging all filter material. How? Am I supposed to throw away the DE grids too?! AM I being insanely worried? Anyone else have this kind of issue or experience?
Freaking out over Raccoon feces!
- Thread starter NyAra
- Start date
DaninFLA
0
sounds like they are saying to empty the contents of the filter into a garbage bag and then throw away. so in your case, wear some gloves and throw away all the DE material. I would keep filtering as well. I would imagine the worms if they are present in the stool would be eggs? so basically you are trying to filter all the eggs physically out of the water. I wouldn't imagine the eggs would hatch and survive in the pool, so you exposure would be limited to while they are in egg form? that's just my guess, I didn't do any research.
do you still have the poo? if its in the trash can and you really want to make sure, just take it to a vet to get tested.
I wouldn't worry about the grids, etc.
do you still have the poo? if its in the trash can and you really want to make sure, just take it to a vet to get tested.
I wouldn't worry about the grids, etc.
I wish I still had it because this is driving me crazy and would love to get it tested. Not sure how I would be able to collect and dispose of DE material as I just use a backwash hose onto my lawn. I could probably get it onto driveway and into street which would minimize exposure I guess?? Not sure if this is just a case of internet scare or if this is a legitimate concern. I'm sure even if the eggs are in the pool they have been 1) mostly collected by filter 2) diffused greatly 3) Not enough left to really cause major problems if swallowed. I'm really mostly worried about the young kids who swim in my pool. I find it hard to believe that this sort of thing isnt more common. Just such a mental freakout!
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
I hear that.
Been very lucky that they only like to poop on my roof, not in the pool just around the corner.
Been very lucky that they only like to poop on my roof, not in the pool just around the corner.
LongDuck
0
Wow, and I thought I had a problem with bees in my water feature!
I have had good luck with live trapping pack rats in the AZ desert using Hav-A-Hart traps baited with a very small amount of peanut butter smeared on the trip plate. The raccoon will be alive and unharmed in the cage trap, so you need to be able to call your local Game & Fish department (or similar) to have them figure out what to do with it. Know that if you put a towel over the trap to hide your approach and drive the animal a distance from your home to release it back into the wild - they may still find their way back. Be sure you don't transplant it to become someone else's problem. Good luck, in any case,
I have had good luck with live trapping pack rats in the AZ desert using Hav-A-Hart traps baited with a very small amount of peanut butter smeared on the trip plate. The raccoon will be alive and unharmed in the cage trap, so you need to be able to call your local Game & Fish department (or similar) to have them figure out what to do with it. Know that if you put a towel over the trap to hide your approach and drive the animal a distance from your home to release it back into the wild - they may still find their way back. Be sure you don't transplant it to become someone else's problem. Good luck, in any case,
Thanks guys. Just keep wondering if I'm making this too big a deal in my head. No one out there has had this happen huh?
Upon further reading of the actual Epidemiology & Risk Factors:
Fewer than 25 cases of Baylisascaris[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] disease have been documented in the United States. However, it is possible that some cases are incorrectly diagnosed as other infections or go undiagnosed. Cases that are diagnosed tend to be severe.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I would have your friend trapped and moved away as this is one of many issues raccoon's bring to our homes . We deal with risk everyday when we get in our cars, I wouldn't think to much on this one. However, you can follow the guidelines spelled out on the CDC website if you like.
Again, I think it is a bit extreme. Get rid of the host, mark your calendar for 2-4 weeks, monitor your family for side effects and don't sweat it more than that.
For what it is worth I make sure people don't get sick from working conditions which includes all kinds of biological diseases. If you want some information on what to wear if you do decide to remove your DE filter material I can assist you with that as well.
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- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,761
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
I wouldn't worry about the DE. You wouldn't search the entire yard for any sign of feces would you and that's much more likely to be a problem than anything that might be in your waste DE. I think you are correct in that your OCD is getting the better of you. Bump the FC for a day or so and forget it.
Dogs can have the very same worms and many of our members swim in the pool with their dogs. We haven't heard of it being a problem.
Dogs can have the very same worms and many of our members swim in the pool with their dogs. We haven't heard of it being a problem.
Very true on all accounts. Just goes to show that you can balance all chemicals and have beautiful water and something else can go wrong! Pool ownership is crazy. On another note I think this is finally going to push me to dig a dry well for dedicated backwashing. The idea of spreading whatever over my lawn is now disgusting me. Plus it'll be so much easier than unrolling then rolling back up 100' of hose.
PS If anyone else has had Raccoons in their pools, please feel free to make me feel better! ;-)
PS If anyone else has had Raccoons in their pools, please feel free to make me feel better! ;-)
- May 23, 2015
- 24,379
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Well, we haven't any issues with our pool and the various rodents in and around the many oak trees in the neighborhood and on our property but our front yard is another story. Some mornings it looks like someone tossed a few grenades in our front yard. The raccoons like to tear into the turf and pull up large chunks of sod as they look for grubs or whatever. It is a sign to me to turn down the watering so that it dries out more and makes it tougher to dig.
The good news is that raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris) eggs are rather large so should get caught in most filters (unlike Cryptosporidium that is too small at 4-6 microns to get caught in most filters without added coagulants). As noted in this paper they are 63-88 microns by 50-70 microns in size. This is why the CDC gives the option for filtration to remove them from the water. Their recommendation to dispose the media itself is an extra safeguard in case all eggs are not backwashed/cleaned from the media but may be overkill.
I wonder if chlorine dioxide would be effective at inactivating the eggs since it is also effective against chlorine-resistant Crypto. I couldn't find any papers or other reports describing such remediation.
I wonder if chlorine dioxide would be effective at inactivating the eggs since it is also effective against chlorine-resistant Crypto. I couldn't find any papers or other reports describing such remediation.
Great point Chem. thanks for all the responses. Sometimes things become crazier in our heads than they really are. Although the Internet definitely doesn't help!