Problems with Ducks

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Fishy1234

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Bronze Supporter
Jul 6, 2018
362
Apple Valley, CA
Pool Size
21600
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Mallard Ducks landing and pooping in pool for the past 3 weeks. Anyone know of a permanent solution to keep them out? Also how should I treat the water? My FC it at 9.5, CYA 80. Water is clear after cleaning up poo poo with net however concerned about the affects of poo poo in water.
 
My in-laws live in Riverside. Last summer, a mama and 11 ducklings took up residence in the backyard and used the pool as a restroom and for recreational activities. Only two or three ducklings survived until they left two to three months later. The others were taken by predators. He just maintained an elevated FC level while they were there, but they did not swim in the pool. We explored options, but other than what @Arizonarob recommended, couldn't find any long term solutions.

Here's the thread from last year...Ducklings vs. TFP
 
Yea, that's a big time problem. I had that happen to me years ago when I was in the Phoenix area in the 90's. My pool at that time, took a bad turn for the worse in about a week (they were swimming and pooping in my pool). Since my children were much younger then, I couldn't very well do the "Elmer Fudd" routine :p, as they would have never forgave me.
So we gathered up mom and the ducklings (yea, I remember now, that was lot of "fun"), and we transported them to a nearby lake miles away. My daughters had a good time with the process and were glad to see them in a "better" home. Good luck with that...
r.
And oh yea, one bit of advice. Gather up "mom" first and put her aside and then go after the ducklings. I made the mistake of trying to get some ducklings first and I was being ATTACKED by the mother duck (all while my daughters were laughing at the whole process). Not fun. :mrgreen:
 
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Once ducks find your water they tend to imprint and return and build a nest near and hatch little ones. Short of getting a dog to patrol the pool area nothing will scare them away permanently.

We had the problem. Tried plastic owls around the pool, inflatable geese in the pool, shiny things around the pool, etc. Nothing really kept them away for long until a big storm blew through and they were gone.
 
Allen,
I agree. I too was a bit worried that they would return. But they must have found that big lake with all of it's vegetation and food, much more to their liking, instead of my little "chlorinated" body of water, because they never returned. Thank goodness. ?
 
About once every other year a duck will land in the pool, hangout for a bit then take off never to be seen again.

Not this year.
Friday I saw a duck couple in the pool. They came back saturday, then again sunday and monday!

Not a big issue at this point but I hope to see less of them lol.
 
Well... this is not good news. Has anyone tried fishing line above the pool? I stayed at a condo on the beach, and noticed fishing line strung above pool every couple of feet. They used it to keep birds out.
 

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In our old house with the IG pool, we got baby alligator snapping turtles in the pool, pooping and threatening to bite. They came from the creek which ran out of the swamp near our house. I just put them in a bucket and took them BACK to the creek.

Once I saw the mama (or daddy) by the side of the road. Big old thing, had to have been 4' front to back and 3' across! It was snapping at cars going past. I think it would have won, too! Glad that one never got in the pool...
 
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The duck population from a nearby farm pond has spun off two or three that have been trying to take up residence around our yard and pool the past couple of weeks. Now becoming a POO-l. Man, they're crappy birds. Unfortunately I work full time so I can't be here to drive them off constantly, but when I'm here I'm on duck patrol. They are persistent buggers. Now I wish I'd left our winter cover on longer. Usually I take it off mid-April, though it isn't warm enough for swimming till end of May. I may need to change my habits. So frustrating.
 

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