Lets hear your pool critter stories.

[stev32k]

One day last summer I was sitting on the patio drinking coffee just about gray dawn. The pool water was warmer than the air and mist was rising off the surface. The warm mist attracted swarms of insects - gnats & others. All of a sudden a bat came over the house and flew over the pool. He was moving very fast and when he reached the end he swooped up, made a hard turn to the left, and flew out of sight. In just a second he came back over the house dropped down low and made another pass. It was very entertaining to watch. He would come from over house, drop down just above the surface of the pool, jink right, jerk left, jerk up, jerk down and he was moving fast.

I'm not sure how many passes he made - maybe 10 or 15, but on the last one he came over the house dropped low, then jinked low and hit water surface. He skipped like a flat rock three times then rolled head over heel about three more times. I expected him to be able to just fly away, but he could not get out of the water. I got the pool net and dipped him up and put net and all on the walkway. He tried to fly several times without success he just sat there flapping his wings. Finally he managed to rise himself about 3 feet off the ground before falling back. On the next try he flew about six feet then finally he seemed to dry out enough to make it over the back fence. I assume he made it back home. If I had not been there he would have drowned fairly quickly. I pulled him out of the water in just a minute or two after he quit rolling and he was already struggling.

 

[whoozer]

I too have had bats hitting the surface of my pool at night. I wonder are they eating bugs or drinking water????

 

[perryperson]

Let's see... a tarantula (floating on hairy legs and ran away when I scooped her out), lizards (some still alive), kangaroo mice, baby rabbit, baby quail... and a dead scorpion :!:

 

[perryperson]

Whoozer, I have bats as well (well, not me personally!), they're dipping water out! Looks very cool with the pool lights on!

 

[dlduvall]

We also have bats at night. it's fun to chill on the deck and watch them scoop in and out in the summer. We like to think (or is that HOPE?) that they are eating the mosquitos that enjoy having us as their evening snack.

 

[DavidH]

Frogs and baby rabbits. Put some rocks on the top step so they could hop out and had no problem at all this year. Well, except that I now have scale on the rocks! Dang Arizona hard water!

 

[geekgranny]

Being in the woods, protected habitat, the usual to be expected. All kinds of "bugs", frogs, toads, occasional mole, mouse, rat. Squirrels drink from pool but don't fall in. Bats swooping at night; pretty cool. Haven't had any bunnies fall in.

SNAKES. Usually juvenile, mostly copperheads, rattlesnakes, corals and an occasional nonvenomous (they seem to be smarter). We have a 40 inch coral in the freezer.

Emerald adult, nonvenomous, (much brighter color than picture) that got in drained pool, mid August, Temp >100 F. Probably died from overheating.

Nonvenomous but feisty adult. I've tried to identify but cannot find exactly what it is. Last year when I drained the pool there were four juveniles in the main drain (cover off but some water in the hole). First one I picked up immediately started biting.

Copperheads, venomous but the least venomous of all the venomous snakes out here. Total four bites to puppies this summer until we started keeping them restricted to house and courtyard at beginning of dusk. Treat with antibiotic and Benadryl. This is one weeks collection; all within 20 ft of house and pool.

 

[anonapersona]

OK, I don't think anyone has had THESE critters yet.....

Three vultures were sitting on the edge of my spa. (No, none of them had a margarita!)

There was a blue jay dive-bombing them, which they ignored. We figured maybe there was a baby jay in the water, so we chased them off. They were not too fast to go so we expected something dead. Nope. No time to get a photo, I'm sorry.

I guess they were just getting a drink... or maybe they were washing up since I found some ugly bits of something in the pool nearby that scattered as I dried to scoop them up.. eww, ick.

Guess that explains the slight drop in FC.

 

[rsharp]

all the stinging insects love to have parties at my pool. everytime i come out to the pool i am greeted by red wasps, mud daubers, yellow jackets, bumble b's, and hornets.. the hornets are the most interesting b/c they can land in the water and float in the water as long as they want before flying back out of the water.. (must have strong wings)....... every night the bats always fly over the pool.. it is pretty cool b/c they pretty fast and go every direction in no time... guessing theyre going after the bugs!!

 

[tcpiii]

OK, I don't think anyone has had THESE critters yet.....

Three vultures were sitting on the edge of my spa. (No, none of them had a margarita!)

We've had vultures too - used to have >100 who would roost on the powerlines not far to the rear of our property. One morning I woke up to find one right on the end of my diving board, looking like he was going to jump in.

A neighbor took to shooting his gun to scare them off, so they no longer roost nearby. . . .

 

[AV8TOR]

Old thread but one that people no doubt will add to over the seasons. Tonight I was barbecuing out back and decided between flips of the burgers this would be a good time to clean the skimmers. I opened the skimmer top and before I saw what was there I reached in and knocked this guy off in the water. My first thought was a small toad which we have had a lot of this spring. Then in no time he climbed back up and I took this picture. Only living in Texas just shy of 4-years now and I have got to remember to look into things before sticking my hand in.

 

[gkruske]

Should have taken pictures. Pool had been closed up for two seasons when we moved in. Got the pool up and running and started scooping the junk out of the black water. I start scraping the bottom of the pool, and the net stops. Couldn't see what it was, so I just kept heaving and hauling whatever it was......20 lb bloated groundhog. Found out I had a nice network of tunnels under the pool deck, and this one decided he needed a drink.

I have frogs like most everyone here, however, I had a good-sized one perched on the vacuum hose that was plugged in the skimmer. Got in a hurry one evening, opened the skimmer lid, and just unplugged the hose without turning the pump off. Frog took an uncomfortable 10 ft. ride. Wound up in the pump basket, very unhappy about it as well.

 

[ROB N]

Mostly frogs bugs and a few mice, but I have found the occasional mud bug/crawfish alive in the pool.

 

[Jamison04]

So far nothing other than June bugs and sweat bees in this pool. My first pool at my parents house was frequented by squirrels every day and inevitably one finally fell in and drowned. Now in my moms koi pond we found a dead opposum floating in it. Glad that didn't fall into the pool!!

 

[justagi]

The part of South Carolina we live in is called the Low Country because its all mostly swamp or used to be. Our pool is about 40 feet from one of the neighborhood ponds that drain out into the the lakes and rivers in the area. We used to have a terrible time with frogs and turtles coming up out of the pond during mating season to take over the pool. The largest turtle we ever pulled out had to have been 40 pounds at least and 24 inches across. It took us several weeks to trap him and get him out. Oddly enough, since we cleaned the pool up and converted it to salt water, the beasties for the most part stay out except for the occasional tree frog. It used to be so bad out there that we couldn't sleep because the frogs were so loud. That SWCG is the best investment we have ever made for a number of reasons, this one being right at the top. However, the spiders now seem to be attracted to the skimmers. Luckily for us, the alligators who live just outside the fence have so far never followed the turtles or frogs up to the pool. The dogs do their best to keep the squirrels, rabbits, and migratory birds at bay.

 

[cillovely]

My in-laws (who live next door) have a bat problem where the buggers were getting in thier attic. A few years ago, they got an exterminator to try and get rid of them. He put up these nets in the eves where they can get out but not back in. The first few days it was crazy, you could hear the bats all mad because they couldn't get back into thier "home", but one must have been truly upset because I found him floating in my skimmer the next morning.

Other than that, I did have one of my cats on a hot summer day cry and cry on the deck until I carefully put her in the pool far away from my vinyl liner (claws an vinyl don't mix) and she swam along for a bit with my supervision.

 

[mhosborn]

Our pool's a new one, only filled with water in mid-January. Since then, I've found:
Mice
Earthworms
Spiders
Juvenile snakes
Crayfish

LOL....makes me wonder what's in store for us!

 

[stev32k]

Here's Joe the Broad headed skink. He's lived around our patio for several years (I assume it's the same one) and I usually have to fish him out the pool two or three times a year.

To show his overall size. This shot was taken awhile back and he is larger now.

 

[brainchasm]

Here's Joe the Broad headed skink. He's lived around our patio for several years (I assume it's the same one) and I usually have to fish him out the pool two or three times a year.

To show his overall size. This shot was taken awhile back and he is larger now.

Skink!

Skinks are awesome! Like really big geckos, with waaay more attitude/personality.

Even their name is cool...SKINK!

 

[taintn]

ok, haven't heard this one yet neice in greenbrier, tn woke to splashing in pool found two grown beavers having a swim, one got out easily left the area second stayed for hours must have liked it. bad news claws had ripped liner had to have replaced $$$.