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How To Keep Raccoons Out Of Pool

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Raccoons Digging Up Lawn

How to Stop Raccoons From Defecating in the Pool

Many homeowners research the question of how to repel raccoons because of grubs. Grubs eat your lawn grass from beneath the roots. Thats why the raccoons are digging up your lawn. They are looking for bugs to eat. Raccoons dig up lawns all night long looking for grubs. So, if youre reading this post trying to figure out how to stop raccoons from digging up your lawn, and you didnt know before why they are doing it, now you know why.

If digging up or lawn was all the raccoons did, we could survive that. But these critters did more. They effectively controlled our backyard at night. It was so intense for so long that we just couldnt enjoy the backyard. Most importantly, we couldnt enjoy the pool. Finding a way to repel raccoons from our yard became a priority for us.

How To Keep Your Property Raccoon Free

Often found in suburban areas, raccoons are smart, resilient, and surprisingly athletic. Not only can they run and jump, but they also are capable of climbing and swimming, making them particularly adept at getting into garbage cans and gardens, or taking a dip in the swimming pool no matter how well they are protected. Since they are nocturnal animals, raccoons feed after the sun goes down. As omnivores, they eat practically everything, ranging from table scraps to cat food. They scrounge the ground around trees, picking up fruit that has fallen. They have been found to go for a dip in the pool if you have one. Even though they are technically wild animals, most raccoons in suburban areas have become accustomed to being around people, which means that they arent timid about visiting yards or gardens. This is especially true if there is a source of water, such as a swimming pool, fountain or birdbath nearby.

No Ducks No Droppings Just Warmer Cleaner Water

When I visit the homes of Crestwood Pools customers, Im always reminded about the uniqueness of each property. Dogwood, Red Oak, Pine and Sycamore trees. Heavily populated blocks to spread out rural neighborhoods. Acres of flat land in one yard, and a nearby forest in another with a doe peeking out from behind a tree. While I can assure you that I have never seen Bambi reclining in a pool lounger with a glass of lemonade, I have spoken at length with customers about how best to keep their pool a human-only domicile .

Your property is unique to you, which is why Ive created this helpful, printable list on how best to keep mice, skunks, chipmunks, ducks, geese, snakes, frogs, squirrels, insects, spiders, lizards, raccoons and bats out of your swimming pool.

1. The first option is to use an in-season pool coverpreferably a solar cover if you like a consistently warm swimming experience. Not only will it help deter ducks and geese from taking a swim, but it will also minimize water evaporation, thereby saving you money on your monthly water and electric bill.

2. When youre not swimming in the pool, use an animal-themed pool cleaner . Birds and rodents are easily intimidated by anything that is colorful and moving, and the attached hose is an extra deterrent. Plus, it adds a nice touch to your pool ambience, especially if you have a young family.

But did you know that you can cross off the majority of these recommendations by choosing an On-Ground Pool?

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How Do I Clean My Pool If It Has Been Contaminated With Baylisascaris

Because Baylisascaris eggs are particularly tough, adding chlorine to the water will not kill them. If a lab test has confirmed that the raccoon was infected with Baylisascaris or you dont know if the raccoon was infected because the raccoons feces were not tested, there are two options for cleaning your pool.

*Remember to close the pool to swimmers until you have finished cleaning the pool.

Option 1:

  • Filter the pool for a minimum of 24 hours and then backwash the pool filter.
  • Put on disposable gloves to replace the material doing the filtering . Double bag the discarded material in plastic garbage bags. Remove gloves and place them in the garbage bags. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.

Option 2:

  • Backwash the pool filter.
  • Drain and hose down the pool.
  • Put on disposable gloves to replace the material doing the filtering . Double bag the discarded material in plastic garbage bags. Remove gloves and place them in the garbage bags. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards
  • Refill the pool.

Peppermint Essential Oil To Deter Raccoons

Raccoon tries to save his brother from pool

It takes a LOT of time and effort to use these scents to drive raccoons away from your property. So another viable option for you is to use a scent that most critters hate.

Peppermint.

A widely used essential oil, peppermint oil is profound across many industries and works well to keep raccoons at bay

My recommendation is that you purchase a peppermint-based wildlife repellent spray, something like Rodent Sheriff Ultra-Pure Peppermint Spray.

You can even take it to the next level by using peppermint essential oil straight, although this may be more expensive.

Regardless if you use a straight spray or pure essential oil, like any scent, youll have to keep reapplying when the scent goes down possibly daily or weekly depending on the strength of the smell.

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Predator Urine In The Property Scares Raccoons Off

Aside from scents that irritate them, another deterrent that you can use against raccoons is predator urine. Instead of targeting their olfactory receptors, this scent tricks them into thinking that your house is already a territory of another predator. If raccoons are already using your house as their habitat, theyll think that a predator just arrived, which will force them to move to a safer location.

When a predator finds a new territory, the first thing itll do is to mark the area by urinating around the perimeter.

Ever see your dog growl, runoff, and pee? They are marking their territory!

The best thing about this method is you can take advantage of the predator-prey relationship is to, yes, purchase predator urine.

Check out PredatorPee Original Wolf Urine, as it comes with a spray bottle and tags as well. You can also find these products in many sports centers and online stores.

Different areas have different predators, such as wolves, bobcats, coyotes, or mountain lions. The more familiar a predator is in your area, the more effective itll be as a deterrent.

So, do some research on what the common animals are in your area! Figure out the predator prey relationship and be tactiful.

How To Keep Raccoons Away From Your Yard

If you suspect raccoons have been coming into your yard its time to take action! Evidence raccoons have been nearby:

  • Small 5 toed footprints in the dirt or mud
  • Garbage and compost bins are knocked over and rooted through
  • Scratch marks at the base of trees or other wooden structures
  • Droppings left behind near puddles or at the base of trees
  • Youve been hearing low growls and shuffling sounds

Ask your neighbors if theyve seen evidence of raccoons too. Maybe your neighbors are having issues with raccoons too. If this is the case, youll need to work together to find out why raccoons are hanging out in your area and employ solutions to get rid of them.

Perhaps one of your neighbors has been feeding them, or theyre unaware that something theyre doing is drawing them to the area. If the problem continues even after all avenues have been exhausted you should contact your local city department to see if they have any solutions or suggestions for you.

Clean up your yard. Raccoons love trash! Your food scraps are like gold to them. Especially if you are throwing out food scraps! And once they know your garbage is there, they will come looking for it regularly.

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How To Get Rid Of Raccoons

Like the old saying goes, “prevention is better than cure,” and the best way to get rid of raccoons is to stop them from even coming in the first place. In fact, the only way to permanently get rid of raccoons is to bar their access to food and water near your home.

  • Remove Garbage.It is important to clear and remove all garbage and food waste from the house and garden. This will prevent access and teach the raccoons to stop coming. Before going to bed at night, take out the trash and shut the bin lid tight. Remember to bring in your pet’s food dishes, as well!
  • Secure Garbage Bins. It is important to use a locking garbage bin or one with a close-fitting or heavy metal lid. A raccoon can easily bypass a lid that is made of a lighter material such as plastic. If necessary, you can even use a rope or bungee cord to seal it tight.
  • Secure Bird Feeders and Pet Food Dishes. If you leave food out for birds or pets, you will need to make sure the raccoons can’t touch it. Consider bringing these things in at night or find other ways to make them inaccessible.
  • Prevent Access to Water. Raccoons need water to survive, so it is a must to restrict any source of water as well. This includes pet dishes, ponds, pools, puddles, and fountains.
  • Use Bright Lights and Loud Noises. Motion-detecting lights or noise-making devices can help drive these pests away.
  • How To Keep Raccoons Out Of Pool

    The hazards of Raccoon pooping in the pool! Critter Pricker Protects

    Raccoons are known to defecate and urinate in swimming pools, and even destroy pool lining, filters, and more. It is important to invest in a quality pool cover, and have it on whenever your pool is not in use. If you cannot get a pool cover that protects the entire pool, at least get one that covers the shallow-end where the steps are located It is important to keep raccoons out of your pool and watch for raccoon feces in and around your pool. Raccoon feces can sometimes contain the eggs of a worm called Baylisascaris procyonis, which can infect humans, particularly children, and cause severe neurologic illness You can keep raccoons out of the pool by installing a board filled with upward nails to prevent it from walking on the first step and pooping in the pool. Neil, of Stockdale Pools, wrote this, to tell me that my listed size was wrong, that it’s micrometers, not picometers

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    Getting Rid Of Raccoons

    Now that you know how to prevent raccoons from coming near your deck, its going to be crucial to think about what to do if theyre already present. You might have raccoons living under your deck right now, and this means that youll need to solve that problem.

    The first thing youll want to do is confirm that you actually have a problem. Youll have to learn how to figure out if raccoons are present on your property.

    Clear Away Any Food And Water Sources

    If you leave bowls of food and/or water out for your pets you should start bringing them inside at night. Raccoons will come back night after night for these treats if you leave them out.

    Keep an eye on your doghouse and other structures. Not only are sheds and doghouses great, warm places for a raccoon to take shelter during inclement weather, but sometimes they can find food in there. Leftover dog food or treats, or a bag of birdseed tucked in the back of a shed are treasures to raccoons.

    Do what you can to secure these spots keeping in mind that even adult raccoons can fit through openings as small as 4 inches. If a raccoon has already made themselves at home in there, youll want to pick up a live raccoon trap to safely trap and relocate them. Then block off any access they may have to these outdoor spaces. These are other great places to spray raccoon deterrent.

    Your garage, large sheds, and even inside your home are all areas not immune to raccoons. Often garbage is stored in sheds, or you use your garage as a pantry which means a food source for hungry raccoons. Keep these areas secured by sealing off any openings. And use high quality, strong window screens if youre going to leave any windows open.

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    Guard Your Inflatables: Raccoons Attack South Slope Pool

    Mommy, what happened to our pool? is not something you want to hear on a Sunday morning at 5:30am.

    Unfortunately, it was the exact question that popped out of my sons mouth about three weeks ago, as he peered out his bedroom window.

    After spending countless hours putting up the pool, perfecting the chemicals, and coaxing the filter pump into working, I frantically raced to the door, praying to the gods that the thing was still intact.

    It was sort of. A quick examination of the inflatable ring uncovered two large slashes in the side. Water was everywhere, and in the back of the yard, a trash can had fallen over near the fence.

    The point of escape, my CSI obsessed mind deduced. Somebody slashed the pool.

    We called the police, and it wasnt long before two friendly officers from the 78th Precinct showed up to investigate. With images of marauding vandals dancing through my head, I explained my theory to the policemen, and to their credit, they didnt laugh out loud.

    The two looked carefully at the slash marks, the cover, and the trash can, before concluding that it was raccoons not knife-wielding criminals that took out the pool.

    Filled with relief , we thanked the officers for their time, and set out to try and repair the damage.

    48 hours, and a lot of Gorilla repair tape later, we were back in business.

    Refusing to let a raccoon get the better of us, we repaired the pool , but also reached out to friends for advice on keeping the troublemaker away.

    Keeping Raccoons Away From Swimming Pool

    Wildlife Management Pros » Animal Control » Raccoons ...

    How to Repel Raccoons from your Swimming Pool

    That gets me back to the raccoon contamination problem. Its bad enough not being able to swim in your pool because nuisance wildlife is swimming in it all night long. These nuisance animals carry diseases. Thats one problem. The raccoons swimming in the pool meant that we couldnt swim in the pool. Thats problem number two. But problem number three is what effectively kept us from using our pool for years. Thats right, I said years.

    Raccoon Poop in Swimming Pool

    Why? Because, in addition to swimming in the pool as if it were their own, these raccoons would poop in the pool each and every night. Now, theres no amount of cleaning and chemicals that would make you feel comfortable swimming in a pool thats being used as a bathroom by wild animals. We tried all of the remedies for wildlife control mentioned on every website on the internet.

    Repel Raccoons with Motion Sprinklers

    For quite a while, the most promising raccoon deterrent we used was motion sprinklers. We invested in motion activated sprinklers as a way to keep raccoons away. And, I have to say, the sprinklers did work. These sprinklers do deter raccoons.

    However, we have a very big yard. And, because raccoons are such persistent and determined creatures, eventually, they were able to penetrate the fence in an area where the sprinklers didnt reach. The sprinklers are great for critter control in small to medium-sized yards.

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    Indianapolis Indiana Raccoon Control At Your Service

    for Indianapolis raccoon control services you can trust. We are DNR licensed and insured nuisance wildlife removal contractors who offer a wide range of 24 hour raccoon removal and control services, including raccoon cleanup, raccoon proofing, minor restorations for raccoon damages, and more. Call 317-535-4605 to request a free estimate or emergency service, today.

    How To Stop Raccoons From Pooping In My Swimming Poo

    • Better looking, faster installation, and cheaper than In-Ground pools and less mice, skunks, chipmunks, ducks, geese, snakes, frogs, squirrels, insects, spiders, lizards, raccoons, bats and other animals and rodents! Click Here to Download Your 10 Ways to Keep Animals Out of Your Pool Checklis
    • In-ground pool owners who share their property with raccoons are very familiar with raccoon poop in the pool. It’s usually in the shallow area, on the first step. I tried a motion-activated sprinkler that was billed as the be-all and end-all to raccoons pooping in the pool
    • Now that you have cornered your prey and gotten rid of the infestation, the next question is how to keep raccoons out of your attic. The best way is to ensure all entryways are sealed. You can also use scent deterrents that will scare away any raccoons that dare enter the attic
    • Raccoons enjoy the dark, so a strategically placed flashlight can be a deterrent. Because they’re also put off by strange noises, playing a small radio may help keep them at bay
    • d if you expect this method to get rid of them entirely. If anything, they will just find other avenues or will look in other areas of the yard for food and shelter. 6 – Electric Fencin

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    Tips For Keeping Wildlife Away From Your Pool

    You might love your Phoenix pool and the option it gives you to cool down after a long, hot day, but you may not be the only one local wildlife might also find your pool beneficial. While animals may not exactly swim laps in your pool, they could use it for their own purposes when you arent around. Similarly, this body of water could be an ideal place for insects in the area to make their homes.

    If the thought of this makes your skin crawl, its never too late to take some preventative measures into account. The sooner you begin to create barriers around your pool, the quicker youll gain peace of mind. Whether its insects that bother you or the occasional raccoon, here are some tips for keeping these pests at bay.

    1. Put up a fenceBringing in a Phoenix pool service professional to install a fence can not only provide you with additional safety, but protection against wild animals. This is the easiest and one of the most efficient ways you can keep creatures out of your pool area literally. No more evening dips for the animals in your neighborhood!

    2. Install an automatic sprinklerAnother way that you can keep animals away from your pool and yard is to install an automatic sprinkler system, even if you dont have much grass growing around your property. The unexpected spritz of water can be enough to scare away even the bravest animals, according to the City of Elk Grove.

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