Use An Automatic Pool Cleaner
Ducks are easily frightened. They fear predators, and nothing looks more like a predator than a moving, underwater robotic pool cleaner. Unfortunately, they dont make any in the shape of an alligator. Maybe someday.
If you dont have an automatic pool cleaner, a robotic pool cleaner or an above ground pool cleaner will work just as well.
The Problem With Ducks In Swimming Pools
Duck and goose droppings are a significant health hazard to humans. E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, or Cryptosporidium are a few of the germs contained in duck feces. While chlorine kills most bacteria within minutes, however, Crypto can survive for up to a week, even in the most well-maintained pools.
Theres also a danger to the ducks to consider. Drinking chlorinated water irreparably damages their kidneys, and they often drink water while they are swimming.
Protect your family and the local wildlife by keeping ducks away from your pool and spa.
Ways To Keep Ducks Out Of Your Pool And Yard
Sure, the sight of a few ducks swimming around in your backyard pool is pretty heartwarming, at first. But if you dont intend on running a backyard zoo, then you already know that they cant stay for long. Yes, theyre small, fuzzy, and cute to look at, but your pool isnt a local pond, and therefore no place for a duck to call home.
And lets not forget about the other big reason ducks cant stick around:
They poop, a lot. Wherever they land.
And like most birds, ducks can carry parasites in their droppings, which can spread through contact and even be harmful to humans.
So with that said, what steps should you take when you find ducks swimming in your pool?
Well in this post, we share a few great tips on how to keep ducks out of your yard and swimming pool. And while ducks flying south for winter is inevitable, if you follow the tips in this post, you can prevent them from calling your pool their home.
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Remove All Food Sources
Its one thing to keep ducks away from house spots by making sure that the foods they prefer are nowhere available, but its almost impossible for you to restrict access to insects and their larvae.
These are always going to be available around ponds and lakes, so you cant do much about it. However, you can deter ducks by making it hard for them to eat some types of food.
In the wild, ducks have an omnivorous diet. It is composed of a range of waterside plants, but they also love to eat beetle larvae, fish, crawfish, shrimp, and even newts and small frogs.
Their diet is, nevertheless, mostly composed of plant materials, but they also eat berries and nuts when they are in season.
Dont make the mistake of feeding human food to wild ducks, such as bread, because there is a high chance theyll return and you wont be able to get rid of them.
Keep the spaces under your bird feeders clean and tidy and remove any fruits, nuts, or berries that might be in the area where youve noticed ducks gathering.
Keep your landscape as trash-free as possible so that they cant find food anywhere and theyll go look for it somewhere else.
Effective Ways To Keep Ducks Out Of Your Pool
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Having a pool is the family dream. Being able to retreat to your pool on a hot summer day is something that many of us wish we had. Taking a nice dip in the cool water and following it up by soaking in some sun can make for a fun and relaxing afternoon.
There is a lot of work that goes into maintaining that pool, though. Keeping it clean both chemically and from debris such as leaves and twigs covering it during the colder months, and all of the other things that need to be done to keep your pool looking pristine.
So, it goes without saying that you dont want anything coming along and messing that all up. There are plenty of things that can present problems for the cleanliness of your pool. One of those things are those friendly waterfowls known as ducks.
You may be asking yourself what the problem with ducks is. Theyre cute and can be fun to watch from time to time, after all. But it wont be so cute when you are dealing with their droppings or looking to get some peace and quiet amidst all of the quacking.
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Why Ducks Love Your Pool
Ducks love water. And ducks love water with no natural predators even more. So when you and your family arent out back swimming, your pool looks like a magical paradise made just for them.
As members of the waterfowl family, ducks are web-footed and therefore, fantastic swimmers. Their lives revolve around the water and theyre naturally drawn to it. Like my Golden Retriever, they are impossible to keep out of the water.
How To Keep Ducks Out Of Pool And Prevent Them From Returning
Having a pool is a great way to relax and cool off on the hot days. However, its not always fun, since you also should maintain it. One of the most common issues pool owners deal with is trying to find an answer to how to keep ducks out of pool. Today we are going to have a look at the reasons why you should do this, how to do it and make them never come back.
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Invest In A Solar Cover
Solar covers are usually used to prevent water evaporation and trap solar radiation, which increases the water temperature by up to 15 degrees. They come in all shapes and sizes, so you can find one that best fits your pool. Make sure you buy one that actually fits so ducklings don’t manage to sneak in and get stuck.
Using a solar cover will not only make your pool warmer and prevent leaves and debris from falling into it, but it is also a great way to prevent wild ducks from swimming in the water and pooping in it.
Repel Ducks With A Scarecrow Kite
Ducks are easily scared by their predators, and one of them is the hawk. If you get a kite that resembles a hawk, whether realistic or stylized, theyll start to avoid your property and look for other places to spend their time in.
If you have been wondering how to keep ducks off my porch, installing one or two of such kites can solve your problem.
Most of the models in this category are outfitted with a sharp stake that enables them to do their job without you putting any effort into the process.
The pole of a scarecrow kite is also made to be adjustable length-wise so that you can scare off different types of birds.
Since ducks do tend to fly pretty high, using the maximum length might be the best idea, especially since birds of prey fly even higher than them.
Depending on the location where you will choose to set up the scarecrow kite, it can also make a rather effective duck repellent for docks.
That would, in fact, be better since winds are likely to be a bit stronger close to water sources, so the kite would move by itself naturally and scare off the birds.
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Erect Realistic Plastic Owls Around The Swimming Pool
This is almost similar to the previous method.
A natural predator of ducks is the owl. Ducks will immediately flee at the sight of one. But since its impossible to obtain a wild owl for your swimming pool, you can use the next best alternative plastic decoy owls.
For best results, invest in a decoy that hoots and makes simple physical movements like head turns. Regularly check up on your fake owl to ensure that it is working properly.
Hang Some Shiny Objects
Some birds love shiny, sparkly objects and will steal what they can when they can if its shiny and able to fit in their little pockets. Some birds are scared of shiny things.
Shiny, sparkly, reflectors have helped some people deter ducks. As ducks and birds are quite skittish, reflections can make them jump and hop right out of the pool.
This doesnt mean you put glitter in the pool though, please dont do that. Instead, try putting shiny metallic objects, like CD discs and mirrors, around the pool. In trees, on the fence, wherever you can. Again, the only downside of this option is that it wont often work at night.
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Add Sprinklers To Your Outdoor Spaces
You may be confused a bit by this because arent ducks lovers of water? And the truth is, yes, ducks do love water, but they also love and need a controlled environment to relax and stay put.
Adding sprinklers to your outdoor spaces, and sometimes even a motion activated sprinkler is a great idea to get rid of ducks and unwanted pests as it will startle them and make the environment uncomfortable.
Like most living things, animals dont like to get splashed, so adding something that sprays out water every so often, is a no-no for a duck and can even feel threatening to them.
Rather than going with your typical timed sprinkler, its better to do this in a sporadic way, or have it motion-activated so that if a duck or unwanted pest comes by they may feel startled and will have nothing to do but to leave.
Ducks are smart and can learn the routine of a sprinkler that goes off at the same time everyday the key here is to provide an unexpected and spontaneous additive to the environment to get rid of ducks for good.
If you are looking for a motion activated sprinkler try out this Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler.
How To Prevent Ducks From Coming Back
Now that you know how to keep ducks out of pool, you should also think of some other measures to make them not come back. There are various solutions which you can try to scare ducks away. Once scared, they wont come back because they think its a dangerous area. Some of the solutions above do this as well, but here you have some extra ideas:
- Use laser pointers
- Keep whistles or air horns next to the pool and use them when you see a duck
- Play music loudly
- Use a garden hose to wet and scare them
- Play the sound of barking dogs if you dont have one.
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Simple Ways To Keep Ducks Out Of Your Pool 2022
- Pete Ortiz
Ducks in your pool may not be a universal problem, but once youve had ducks in your pool, you know its challenging to get rid of them. You want to try to do everything you can to keep them from getting there in the first place. While ducks are more likely to take up in an inground pool, they can also land in an above-ground pool.
If you live in an area prone to duck invasions, we are going to give you some tips and tricks to help you prevent the ducks from making a home in your pool. Wherever possible, we will try to supply you with an example product, but these products are just examples. Similar products will work just as well in most cases.
Keep reading while we review these 11 simple ways to keep ducks out of your pool.
Speaking Of Scarecrows Have You Tried A Scarecrow
Designed to scare all kinds of wildlife away and out of farmers yards and fields, scarecrows have also been known to be an effective way of scaring birds away from your backyard and pool area.
Obviously, if youre not too keen on having a scarecrow in your backyard this is not the option for you. On the other hand, these brainless scarecrows can be a fun family project and you can even make the whole family into a scarecrow family.
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Solar Light Owls And Other Solar Garden Objects
It doesnt have to be an owl! There are so many different types of solar lights, from owls and butterflies to cats and dogs and cows. Your choices here are endless.
Although not as effective in the daylight, solar lights can be a great addition to the garden because they look nice and quirky, add character, and in most cases, scare away unwanted pests. Almost like a scarecrow.
Some solar garden ornaments can also make noises and move slightly in the wind which might also help to get rid of the birds.
Tips On How To Get Rid Of Ducks Fast
As beautiful as they might be, wild ducks can be quite problematic. They can keep your insect population under control, but they can also make a mess out of your yard and pond.
The good news is that there are many great ways to deter ducks from your yard humanely.
Here are the best tips on how to get rid of ducks starting today.
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Why Do Ducks Like Swimming Pools
Not all that different from us humans, ducks, and other birds like clean safe warm water to bathe in and recreate in. What better to fill the bill than a swimming pool that is being cleaned regularly, is a small body of water so its warm, and they know without a doubt that there are no natural predators around to antagonize them. From a ducks point of view your swimming pool checks all the boxes. An added bonus for the ducks is if your pool is near its natural path on its regular migration.
It does happen that ducks will find their way to swimming pools due to being a little confused or lost. We once had a client that lived near a municipal lake that had a huge population of geese. It wasnt all that uncommon for the geese to mistake our clients pool for their winter home because the pool had many of the same characteristics of the lake. It was clean, it had a dark bottom, and they could also hear the rest of the flock.
What ducks and geese and really any animals dont realize is that there is no natural food source for them in your pool. And in the case of a mama duck and her ducklings, the pool is a very dangerous place to set up shop. The ducklings need to get out of the water to dry off until they get their adult feathers, and quite often they cant get out of the slippery steep walls of a swimming pool and will often drown.
Try Predator Toys And Scarecrows
Ducks fear their predators a lot. They are easily scared by them. Using predator toys and scarecrows can help deter them from accessing your pool.
Alligator Toy or Floaters
An alligator is one of the ducks predators that they fear most. Using an alligator toy as a floater in your pool can help keep the ducks off while also providing the young swimmers with fun.
The sizing doesnt matter, but you might want to get something that they can see even when theyre flying to prevent them from landing.
You can also use a snake, killer whale, and bobbing dolphin Toy.
Scarecrow kite
You can hang a hawk kite realistic or style can help force them not to land. The ducks will try to avoid your property and search for a safe place.
Most of the kites come with an adjustable rope and pole with a sharp end to allow you to install them without much effort. Since the ducks tend to fly high, itd be best to use the maximum length
Swan or Owl Decoys
A swan is another predator featured a lot by ducks since they can be pretty aggressive towards the ducks since they are territorial. Using a swan or owl decoy can also be effective in keeping the ducks off your pool. Use the swan decoy sharp anchor to stake at the bottom and use it for positioning it safely near the pool.
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What Not To Do
All of these methods will help you harmlessly get rid of ducks. Each method has pros and cons, but none of my strategies will hurt the birds.
Other sites may recommend using a fishing line or bird netting to handle your duck problem. But with these methods, the ducks can get tangled up and seriously injured. Your solution to ducks in your pool should never be a harmful one.
Its not just an ethical matter. Ducks are among the fowl included in the Migratory Bird Act. This law means that harming a duck on your property by your efforts could land you in legal trouble.
Use Smoke From Fire To Repel Ducks
Most animals dislike being around smoke, and ducks are no exception. So, if you need an excuse to roast some smores or set up a fire pit, say you need to get rid of ducks!
If you do not want to set up a big fire, set up some tiki torches or some candles. Of course, you should not leave any fire unattended, so this method is only going to be effective if you can monitor things.
For best results, use an insect repelling candle like the TIKI 1418014 Brand 17 oz. BiteFighter Galvanized Citronella Wax Candle. Alongside keeping ducks away, these candles will repel annoying insects such as mosquitoes and flies. There is nothing worse than having a great outdoor party, only to wake up with a bunch of bug bites the next morning.
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