Its been there a few days. My pool chemistry is sorted, but I am slamming it overnight anyway. Overreaction? Maybe, but I'd rather spend the $15 on chlorine do than then think about splashing around in dead rat tea. 
Ugh Found a dead rat in my strainer...
- Thread starter Quant
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,033
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
After a few days, a SLAM is justified. Next time, post signs around the pool stating "No Lifeguard on Duty.
Skippy found a live snake in our skimmer yesterday. It just grosses me out, so I can't imagine how I'd feel about a dead rat. <shiver> Do rats and snakes know how to use those frog log thingies??
Maddie
Maddie
I am in the desert and I imagine the rat jumped for water. If he worked on trying to crawl up the wall, he probably would have made it or i have a built in cement lounge table in pool nearly at water level that he could have climbed up and then jump to shore. But my guess is he saw the dark cave like hole of the skimmer and instinct drove him to that for cover. But the pump would have been running at night and once past the weir door, he was doomed. Fighting the suction and no where to go even if managed to pull him self up on the edge for a while.
I do keep an oil sponge in the skimmer and last year I found a toad siting on top of it, safe from the suction. He was relocated.
I do keep an oil sponge in the skimmer and last year I found a toad siting on top of it, safe from the suction. He was relocated.
Skippy found a live snake in our skimmer yesterday. It just grosses me out, so I can't imagine how I'd feel about a dead rat. <shiver> Do rats and snakes know how to use those frog log thingies??
Maddie
A bit off topic, but do those frog log thingies work?
I find dead chipmunks in the skimmer every few weeks, I throw in some shock and move on. Yesterday I found one swimming for his life. I netted him out and put him on the deck. He sat there for about 10 minutes and then scampered off into the woods.
I had a bloated dead squirrel in mine not long ago. And enough leaves in the basket (I have a big tree over the pool) that I didn't know he was in there until AFTER I reached in and grabbed a handful of leaves, noticed something didn't feel right, and then realized I was also holding his tail... 
I have two frog logs and find far fewer rodents in the skimmers than I used to.
If my wife and kids knew what I occasionally pull out of the pool they'd never go in the water. One of those 'what they don't know won't hurt them" kind of things.
We had a rat get stuck on the weir door and die. It was QUITE stuck on it once discovered and I had to beg my husband to help. When he tried to get it off it took prying. He was like "honey I don't think you understand, this thing was disintegrating upon my attempt to pry it odd"
Gross just gross. Ugh.
Gross just gross. Ugh.
Yes! We always had rabbits, mice, rats, possums, voles, moles, chipmunks, frogs, snakes, lizards, salamanders, turtles, and countless bugs in our skimmer. We've even had bats! (it was heartbreaking. A momma and baby. Poor Momma must have tried to save her baby.) We put 2 frog logs in the pool, and now very rarely find any warm blooded critters, the frogs and turtles definitely sit on the logs, and we don't find nearly as many other things in the skimmer.
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:lol:My daughters used to get SO so sad to see dead animals, especially cute critters like rabbits.
My wife and kids don't mind knowing what I pull out of there... but my sister, who swims in my pool at least once a week, is a complete germophobe and would probably never get in my pool if I told her I find dead mice/baby squirrels/frogs in the skimmer a few times a year.
Years ago, I pulled off the skimmer cover, and there was a dead rat floating there, it scared the sh*t out of me at the time.
Rat went into the trash, shocked the pool, and all was fine.
I get a lot of lizards these days, fortunately nothing larger.
Rat went into the trash, shocked the pool, and all was fine.
I get a lot of lizards these days, fortunately nothing larger.
Lots of big oaks around my yard/pool and I get several squirrels a year. I hate the rodents (they have completely chewed up plastic things on my fence gates and pool equipment) but I don't want them to suffer a death by drowning. Sounds like I need to check into a "frog log" or something similar.
I found a nice big salamander in mine, just swirling away in the skimmer basket like it was a hot tub. Turtles and frogs are usual.
Also a large number of weevils this year. They have sticky feet that cling to the leaf rake like nothing else. Driving me bonkers.
Also a large number of weevils this year. They have sticky feet that cling to the leaf rake like nothing else. Driving me bonkers.
- Apr 23, 2017
- 2,400
- Pool Size
- 22000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
When we started building our pool last May I found at least one rat a day and often two. Put my cats outside and that quickly changed. No more rats but we do get a frog or two at night...