Keeping ducks out of the pool

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W

waste

0
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Mar 29, 2007
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Coastalish 'down easter'
Hey all :wave:

I've got a problem with a pair (I think it's the same pair) of ducks using our pools :evil: They poop in the pools and on the decks, I remember problems in the lakes of NH with people getting 'duck itch' from their parasites entering the water that have ducks in them, and I caught (and interrupted :twisted: ) them copulating in one of the pools.

I don't want to have to harm them, but they have to learn to stay away from of the pools - there are 3 ponds near the pools that they can do whatever they want to in.

I'm not sure if a fake owl would deter them. I've heard about stringing up fishing line to deter birds, but that isn't practical in my situation.

Other than taming a fox and training it to patrol the pools, is there something I can do?
 
There are motion-sensitive sprinkler devices which I think are designed for deer and such, and may help if they will detect a duck. I also recall that when I was a kid, I knew folks that hung foil pie-pans from trees on string to keep birds away from their fig trees. The shiny pans spinning and waving in the breeze seemed to deter birds like Grackles and Sparrows and such, but I don't know about Ducks.
 
How about using:
- a solar cover to keep them out of the water?
- sounds of a barking dog
- firecrackers

And when you get really tired of the ducks - making foie gra!
 
We have a pair of ducks in our pool every spring. They take off during the day and return at night. I think they like to find a private place away from the crowd during mating season! When we are ready to drain and re-fill the pool, I let my border collie (finally! she says) chase them out. She doesn't hurt them, just hassles them. I usually put my solar blanket on right away after filling, and they won't return for a year.

If there is a border collie club in your neck of the woods I would bet money that one of the members is experienced in bird removal---they're used to chase geese out of parks. You could check it out.

I should also think that you shouldn't let them use the nearby ponds---their homing instinct seems good and I bet they don't care whether it's pool or pond. If your property is their honeymoon hot spot you'll soon have a flock!
 
applgrl said:
If there is a border collie club in your neck of the woods I would bet money that one of the members is experienced in bird removal---they're used to chase geese out of parks. You could check it out.
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I have two border collies in my back yard. Every once in a while a pair of ducks will start coming down toward our pool, then the dogs get on the chase. We haven't seen a duck land in our pool yet, they change their minds pretty fast!
 

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tmyers said:
By the way... I'll send you some frogs for a duck. Frogs are creepy! Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit
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Yes, they are! Last year we had thousands of tadpoles on our winter cover. Gross!

We have ducks every year that swim in the water that's on the winter cover. But after we open the pool, they go away. Ted, I'm surprised yours swim in the chlorine. Like someone else suggested, maybe a solar cover?
 
LoChlor Chemicals made a product called DuckOFF. http://www.lochlor.com/duck_off.html. It lowers the surface tension and prevents ducks from floating on the surface. They learn that your pool is not a good place to swim in anymore as they will sink. However, the problem with this is that small ducklings don't have the strength to fly off when they start sinking, and eventually drown.....gulp
 
We have had the same pair back for 3 years! First hatch last was 13! This year I trimmed all the rose bushes back and they didn't feel safe so they went elsewhere! Might have been my Lab though, she loves DUCKS!
 
Hey Ted. The Duck off is completely safe. As the link shows, it will smell and foam for a bit. If it's the same pair of ducks, they'll retain a memory of not being able to float in your customer's pool, and they won't return. Just throwing it out there as a possible chemical solution.
 
I had this same problem for a few years a few years ago.

While at a local pond one day I noticed that an apparently new couple were being driven off by other ducks. Seems they had no where to go.

I'm thinking that during the spring mating season the ducks in my pool were driven off from the local ponds and found my pool to be private enough.

In later spring they disappeared. Maybe because they were then allowed back into the local ponds once the "protective mother" stage was passed.

I haven't seen them in at least two years now.

But I'll copy that recipe just in case!
 
Today, I had clocked out and heard the bartender yell "Ducks, go away or Ted is gonna get you!"

Of course I ran out onto the deck and saw 2 males and 1 female in our main pool :rant:

Apparently the 2 'love birds' invited a friend to watch :mrgreen:

The 12 gauge sounds better every day....
 
OMG Ted, you make me laugh so much!

#3.5 shot works wonders! :mrgreen:
 

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