Making Your Swimming Pool Safer for Wildlife

BY MARINA DELUCA, GROUP FOR THE EAST END ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCAITE

Pools can be a lovely addition and add to summer fun but they pose a hazard for many types of wildlife. It is crucial to think about ways to mitigate these dangers when designing your pool or surrounding area. Making some very minor and affordable changes can make a massive difference towards keeping wildlife (and your pets!) safe.

Pools are dangerous to wildlife because many animals who might end up in one cannot get back out, leading to drowning. Most naturally occurring bodies of water have an incline along the shore, allowing animals to exit a body of water with ease. Unlike natural bodies of water, pools do not have a slope along the edges. Instead, they have a flat drop-off that is often too high for most animals to overcome. Luckily, there are steps you can take to make your pool safer and provide exit routes for any critter that accidentally goes for a swim. 

1. If you are installing a new pool, consider building animal safety ledges – these are ledges just below the water's surface along the edge of the pool. These ledges can make it much easier for animals to escape.

2. Make sure to empty skimmers twice a day. By regularly checking skimmers, you are much more likely to save the lives of any animal that may find itself caught there.

3. Turn off skimmers/filter systems during the night. Numerous animals are crepuscular, meaning they are active during dawn and dusk, and are most likely to end up in your pool during these times. Turning off the skimmers during the night prevents animals from getting trapped in the currents created by filtering during the night if they fall in the pool. Turning off skimmers at night gives animals a better chance of escape. 

4. “Critter Skimmers” - these affordable skimmer covers have a built-in ramp that animals can use to escape if they get trapped in the skimmers.

Photo via Frog Log

5. “Frog Logs” – these small, affordable, buoy-like, poolside attachments can help rescue everything from amphibians to small mammals who have fallen into a pool. The more logs you install, the greater their efficacy will be.

6. “Scamper Ramps” – not only are these ramps good for wildlife, but they can save pets who fall in too. They are more effective for larger animals such as cats, dogs, raccoons, and others who may be too large to utilize a “Frog Log”.

7. Installing rope along the edge of the pool can help animals such as squirrels, raccoons, or any other animal with a grabbing ability to pull themselves out of a swimming pool.

8. Fence the area directly surrounding your pool rather than fencing your entire yard, or fence both your yard and directly around your pool. These fencing styles will create a much more effective deterrent to keep wildlife away from the water.

9. Make space for animals! Animals could find themselves investigating a pool for numerous reasons, such as looking to take a drink or looking for a habitat. To keep animals away from the swimming pool, consider building a natural area with habitat and water for animals to drink or cool off. Constructing some sanctuary spaces in your yard can help keep animals where they need to be and out of your pool. Keep these sanctuary spaces as close to naturally occurring landscapes as you can.

10.  Keep flowers away from the pool area to prevent pollinators from getting trapped in your pool. Consider building a pollinator garden using native plant species to entice them to another section of your property.

11.  When you cover your pool, install a safety cover or one that slopes out over the edges of the pool. During the spring, pool covers can collect rain and water from snowmelt, creating a pond that encourages amphibious life. In the warmer months, they can disguise the water below, causing animals to misjudge the potential danger ahead of them. By installing a cover that slopes out over the edge of the pool, animals that find themselves drawn to this new “pond” or those who accidentally stumble into it will be able to escape.

By implementing even a few of the recommendations above, you will be making your pool safer for wildlife.

Sources:

Humane Society. (2021). Pool safety for wild animals. Retrieved from https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/pool-safety-wild-animals

Lawson, N. (2017, September 09). Wildlife and Swimming Pools: Can They Coexist? Retrieved from http://www.humanegardener.com/wildlife-and-swimming-pools/