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- Thread starter poolboy234
- Start date
PoolBoy, I would suggest getting a FrogLog. We too *used* to find what I termed "Livestock" in our skimmer or pool but once we got that we don't anymore. We also have an autocover, but often leave the cover open too.
Maddie
Maddie
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,187
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Why do you hate it? As long as you fish them out when you find them, and are maintaining TFP levels, you should be fine. I find mice, rabbits, frogs even turtles in my pool. Usually also in the skimmer basket. I dump them over the fence and never think about it again.
I was wondering why I see dead critters near my fence occassionally!
Yes. The only time I get critters is when the autocover is not closed for whatever reason (torn or malfunctioning). I do get spiders and lizards which are small enough to squeeze through the small gap between the cover bar and the coping, but that's all.
Frequent live frogs. Occasional dead one. I leave the dead ones near the tree line for the local foxes and turkey vultures. They need to eat too 
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Another vote for the frog log, I have two and haven't found any corpses this year, like I have in the past. It may not bother some, and thats fine, but I am not cold enough to dump bodies over the fence and not spare a thought.
We have had our pool 13 years and never had anything dead other than bugs. We live the in the country deer in our yard all the time, squirrels galore, we feed raccoons out back and possums run cleanup duty. I`m so glad we have not had animals in our pool.
DrewLG
Gold Supporter
Yes, they help with any critter that's too small to reach the coping or use the steps to get out.
I live in the woods and I'm cool with the whole circle of life thing - there's predators and prey all around here. But I hated seeing animals that had suffered and drowned only because I chose to have a swimming pool in my backyard. So I installed a couple of Frog Logs, and I haven't found any animals in the pool since.
They're pretty straightforward: Mesh around the perimeter gives animals a way to climb onto the floating platform, then a mesh ramp leads up to the deck. Sand or gravel (or a lead dive weight if you happen to have one) in the pouch at the top of the ramp anchors the whole thing in place.
Place one a few feet away from the skimmer ("upstream" if there's a usual direction of flow toward the skimmer), and then one on the opposite side of the pool. The Frog Log packaging has suggestions for number and placement, and their website probably does too. There's a wall along half my pool's perimeter, so I've put one at each end of the wall.
I guess it's possible that animals could crawl down through the holes in the skimmer lid, but the animals you've found are much more likely to have fallen into the pool and then been pulled into the skimmer. Frog Logs -- or a cover if you want to be even more certain -- should do a lot to solve the problem.
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I do the same with the frog logs, one at each end of the pool, just before the water swirls into the skimmer. I actually watched a chipmunk crawl out using it a couple weeks ago, so they are fairly sturdy.
Deb04
LifeTime Supporter
- Jul 12, 2008
- 667
- Pool Size
- 19000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Frog logs are great. We also have a critter skimmer, which allows smaller creatures to escape the skimmer once they’re in it. We’ve seen it in use.
Filling the skimmer hole won’t do anything. They get into the skimmer from falling into the open water and the skimmer does what it’s supposed to do by skimming the surface for stuff floating around.
Get an aquarium fish net from a pet store to net out the skimmer so you don’t have to reach in with your hand and unknowingly come up with dead bodies. At least that’ll make it less gross. I get mice, frogs, and small turtle once in a while. Usually the bigger animals sink before they get to the skimmer.
Steve-D
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2020
- 155
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
We pushed the tree line back last summer to clear an area for our new pool. There's an awful lot of wildlife back there and with drought conditions its inevitable that some of them occasionally head for the pool. We usually use a solar cover at night and that apparently makes it easier for critters to escape, but not always...
With the current heat wave we in New England have been facing I've kept the cover off so the pool temp doesn't creep up too high and I came out the other day to see a field mouse stranded on the top rung of the deep end ladder In about 1/2 inch of water. I scooped it with our net & dumped it outside the fence...hopefully he learned his lesson.
I share info on the dead ones with my wife on occasion, but mostly she doesn't want to know about it as it taints the idyllic vison she has of her backyard retreat.
With the current heat wave we in New England have been facing I've kept the cover off so the pool temp doesn't creep up too high and I came out the other day to see a field mouse stranded on the top rung of the deep end ladder In about 1/2 inch of water. I scooped it with our net & dumped it outside the fence...hopefully he learned his lesson.
I share info on the dead ones with my wife on occasion, but mostly she doesn't want to know about it as it taints the idyllic vison she has of her backyard retreat.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,778
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Any chance to supply some water between the open area and the pool? Might keep some from coming to the pool.
darkrider
Well-known member
- Jun 14, 2021
- 289
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I thought for sure we would have a ton of dead critters in our new pool, but most seem to hang out in the rain garden which is connected to all of our downspouts, decking and pool overflow. Not only do the plants look nice, I've found that this is a huge added benefit! Even if you don't need it for drainage purposes, it might be something to consider.
I had a frog in ours just yesterday. He seemed to be having a great time - sucker was quick too...took me a few minutes to fish him out with the big net and pop him over the fence
(or @Poolgated him as I will now refer to the process as)
(or @Poolgated him as I will now refer to the process as)
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