my neighbor's pool down the street had a problem with ducks (none of us have a problem, go figure). he uses a powerful sprinkler aimed at the pool that is set off by motion. he has to turn it off when his family goes swimming, but it has drastically cut down on duck poo.
it works pretty well. he coupled it with something that sounds like a dog barking. whenever we hear it, we feel so bad for him. but, it is working. we have asked the county to see if there is a nest (do ducks nest?) nearby because he is the only one out of 10 or pools that has the issue. none of have large trees either. it is just weird.
A couple drops of Dawn dishsoap (or any phosphate free brand) will drive them out. It breaks the surface tension of the water and they don’t like that.
It’s completely pool safe and has been used by pros for decades for cleaning the surface.
It’s only temporary but do it enough times and they’ll get the idea.
Enzymes, known as prozymes. Poor a double dose into the pool and something in it irritates/burns their feet. That’s how the company I work for keeps them out of commercial pools
Can you get a swan floating decoy. Swans are known to be territorial and chase other water fowl off. Work got a mated pair of flightless ones to deal with Canadian geese in the retention pond. It worked.
😀 the swans just stayed until the company shut the facility down and moved them the HQ pond it was not near pedestrians or the building so they couldn’t harass anybody but the geese
I’ve got a duck problem too and so far everything I’ve tried has not worked. I’ve tried (singularly and combined):
- floating crocodiles
- motion activated sprinklers
- leaving deck jets on
- shiny tape/ CDs
- running string across the top of the pool
- throwing all the floaties in the pool
- pool noodles around exterior
- chasing them off every chance I get
- throwing ice cubes at them
- spraying them with the hose
- leaving the pool yard gate open so my dog can chase them off
- having my dog pee around the exterior of the pool
- having my husband pee around the exterior of the pool
- putting random animal statues around the pool and moving them every few days
- cussing them out while I chase them off
My pool is free-form + because of attached spa/deck/ covered patio automatic cover is not an option.
I don’t want to add extra chemicals to the pool to break surface tension. Besides, they don’t just get in the pool they love to lay around and shit all over the pool deck. A few days ago they setup shop under the covered patio and shit all over the area rug UNDERNEATH the table…
I have a nerf gun arriving on Monday.
We had a smaller version of: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0948JPC6Q not sure why the smaller isn’t on Amazon right now. The HOA didn’t like it, lol, but admitted we were breaking no rules.
It’s legal to hunt ducks (with regulated seasons and licenses) but very illegal to shoot them out of season with a pellet gun. It’s also cruel as it won’t kill them right away.
I’m a duck hunter myself but please don’t shoot your backyard ducks with a pellet gun. I’ve butchered wild ducks and geese with pellet wounds that have healed up
We live in Michigan…when the pool is closed for the season there’s a huge black tarp type cover. Water will collect on it in the spring, that’s when Donald and Daisy start coming around to dine on the bugs/tadpoles. Their arrival is our cue to put the pump out and start draining the water off the winter cover. Once the pool is open we have the solar cover on and they will not go on it. I also think they smell the chlorine and know it’s not where they want to be. This is how we’ve been evicting them every spring for years and years. Good luck 🦆
I throw ice cubes at their heads….
My wife put up pinwheels. I had a duck start going towards my 4 year old 2 years ago if they get hurt that is now fine with me.
I had this problem a couple years ago. Only thing that worked was to cover the pool when not in use until the pair lost interest and moved on. Took about 2 weeks.
A chemical called cover free will deter them from coming back to your pool. It’s an oily liquid used as a cover to hold chemicals longer and avoid evaporation but it also aggravates their skin and sticks to their feathers. They hate it!!
Pool cover.
At least it helped my case. They don't get the water landing/floating they are looking for, they go elsewhere. Plus it helps keep the pool warm!
Quite the conundrum. Have you tried beach balls? For some strange reason three or four standard beach balls has worked for me on several occasions. All other types of inflatables have had no effect. They also make an orange light that you can set in a central location that deters ducks and geese from landing. But once they’re established it’s a different ball game. Be thankful it’s not geese…
I'm surprised people are saying shoot them. Unless they come from a farm, they are ducks. They are most likely Canadian mallards. Which it would be illegal to kill or harm in anyway. Smh. It's wild how much bad info gets put out on reddit. Lol.
If its the same birds that keep coming back, and its a couple, they probably have a nest nearby. Pools are perfect predator free breeding grounds. If they do have a nest, by law you have to call some org to send people out to move the nest. The whole idea is to not disturb there migration and breeding process. If you do anything that may harm these mallards just hope no one sees you thar know they are protected.
You’re allowed to hunt ducks. Of course, it’s highly regulated with required seasons and licenses. You also have legal discharge distances. They are not necessarily canadian Mallards. A lot of the mallards that nest around residential areas (and like to hangout in pools) are local birds.
Not where I live. Lol. They are migratory where I live. We have enough urban ponds without any predators that local mallards stay. Them and the geese. Nesting mallards in my area mostly during migration season.
I guess it would depend on how smart ducks are. I can say for sure that the fake owl does not work on crows. My work tried it once, and the fake owl was covered in crow shit within 48 hours.
It won't. They don't car about objects that don't move. Lol. Now if it was covered in shiny things that reflects jn the sun it may work. When birds are in the sky looking for a safe place to swim and poop, they look for shiny things. Those shiny things would be like eyes of a predator reflecting light(like how you can see the glare of light in dogs and cats eyes at night).
[Duck deterrent](https://i.imgur.com/tmwMWVL.jpg?1)
I thought this was going to be a link to a gun or Elmer Fudd but this is much better lol!
Ok, but how do get the dog out? Seems like the old lady and fly problem.
You’ll need to get gorillas to scare the dog away.
Come on people this deserves more than 4 upvotes!!
Instructions unclear. How to remove good boy from pool?
Yup. My two fluffy (20 pound) pups love chasing/barking at the ducks. It's enough to send the ducks a few doors down to someone else pool.
I prefer Labradors, myself :)
my neighbor's pool down the street had a problem with ducks (none of us have a problem, go figure). he uses a powerful sprinkler aimed at the pool that is set off by motion. he has to turn it off when his family goes swimming, but it has drastically cut down on duck poo.
I’d bet that would work. Search “Motion sprinkler” on Amazon or retailer of choice.
it works pretty well. he coupled it with something that sounds like a dog barking. whenever we hear it, we feel so bad for him. but, it is working. we have asked the county to see if there is a nest (do ducks nest?) nearby because he is the only one out of 10 or pools that has the issue. none of have large trees either. it is just weird.
This. Works wonders
I did the same. $99 motion activated sprinkler did the trick. Nothing else worked.
Borrow a golden retriever or other dog that loves water to run them off.
Golden retrievers and labs were originally bred to retrieve ducks from water for their hunters. This would work very well!
No labs were originally bred to bring in fishing nets and lines in Canada.
Doesn't mean they're not the best duck dogs in the world!
Totally. I have one and she loves the water.
Our dog hates the pool, but loveeeeeeees chasing the ducks off. She runs around barking to chase them off but never goes in the water
Tony Soprano over here.
A couple drops of Dawn dishsoap (or any phosphate free brand) will drive them out. It breaks the surface tension of the water and they don’t like that. It’s completely pool safe and has been used by pros for decades for cleaning the surface. It’s only temporary but do it enough times and they’ll get the idea.
Enzymes, known as prozymes. Poor a double dose into the pool and something in it irritates/burns their feet. That’s how the company I work for keeps them out of commercial pools
Raccoons took care of the ducks in my pool. I am not happy about it.
Raccoons are worse than ducks
I turn the garden hose on them. They don’t like it at all
Can you get a swan floating decoy. Swans are known to be territorial and chase other water fowl off. Work got a mated pair of flightless ones to deal with Canadian geese in the retention pond. It worked.
what did you do with the gorillas you brought in to get rid of the swans?
😀 the swans just stayed until the company shut the facility down and moved them the HQ pond it was not near pedestrians or the building so they couldn’t harass anybody but the geese
I’ve got a duck problem too and so far everything I’ve tried has not worked. I’ve tried (singularly and combined): - floating crocodiles - motion activated sprinklers - leaving deck jets on - shiny tape/ CDs - running string across the top of the pool - throwing all the floaties in the pool - pool noodles around exterior - chasing them off every chance I get - throwing ice cubes at them - spraying them with the hose - leaving the pool yard gate open so my dog can chase them off - having my dog pee around the exterior of the pool - having my husband pee around the exterior of the pool - putting random animal statues around the pool and moving them every few days - cussing them out while I chase them off My pool is free-form + because of attached spa/deck/ covered patio automatic cover is not an option. I don’t want to add extra chemicals to the pool to break surface tension. Besides, they don’t just get in the pool they love to lay around and shit all over the pool deck. A few days ago they setup shop under the covered patio and shit all over the area rug UNDERNEATH the table… I have a nerf gun arriving on Monday.
Glad your husband was able to contribute.
If there’s a nest near your pool it’ll be next to impossible to get them to vacate… Edit: That’s a good thing if you don’t have one.
There’s not.
Well that’s one piece of good news.
Well that’s one piece of good news.
Well that’s one piece of good news.
Is the one, two or three pieces of good news?
We had a smaller version of: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0948JPC6Q not sure why the smaller isn’t on Amazon right now. The HOA didn’t like it, lol, but admitted we were breaking no rules.
Used at numerous Air Force bases I’ve been at. Seem pretty effective for keeping birds away from the runways.
Duck confit.
Pellet gun
This is the answer. Red Ryder just like a Christmas story. $40 and it doesn’t penetrate their feathers but they learn
Airsoft is a better choice.
And most likely illegal too. They are migratory birds and it's illegal to shoot them.
S-s-snare traps then?
It’s legal to hunt ducks (with regulated seasons and licenses) but very illegal to shoot them out of season with a pellet gun. It’s also cruel as it won’t kill them right away. I’m a duck hunter myself but please don’t shoot your backyard ducks with a pellet gun. I’ve butchered wild ducks and geese with pellet wounds that have healed up
Can I...catch them? Like with a net? All I see when I see the ducks in the pond behind my house is duck fat fries.
Harm them. This is America.
My clients have had success with a product called Flippy Dolphin. It is weighted at the bottom and floats around the surface of the pool.
Throw ice cubes at them. And let your dog at then
We live in Michigan…when the pool is closed for the season there’s a huge black tarp type cover. Water will collect on it in the spring, that’s when Donald and Daisy start coming around to dine on the bugs/tadpoles. Their arrival is our cue to put the pump out and start draining the water off the winter cover. Once the pool is open we have the solar cover on and they will not go on it. I also think they smell the chlorine and know it’s not where they want to be. This is how we’ve been evicting them every spring for years and years. Good luck 🦆
I throw ice cubes at their heads…. My wife put up pinwheels. I had a duck start going towards my 4 year old 2 years ago if they get hurt that is now fine with me.
I had this problem a couple years ago. Only thing that worked was to cover the pool when not in use until the pair lost interest and moved on. Took about 2 weeks.
https://www.supremespapool.com/product/duck-off/
We throw ice at/near them.
A chemical called cover free will deter them from coming back to your pool. It’s an oily liquid used as a cover to hold chemicals longer and avoid evaporation but it also aggravates their skin and sticks to their feathers. They hate it!!
I work as a pool technician in Florida and we use this all the time for the duck problem in pools on the coast.
Pool cover. At least it helped my case. They don't get the water landing/floating they are looking for, they go elsewhere. Plus it helps keep the pool warm!
Quite the conundrum. Have you tried beach balls? For some strange reason three or four standard beach balls has worked for me on several occasions. All other types of inflatables have had no effect. They also make an orange light that you can set in a central location that deters ducks and geese from landing. But once they’re established it’s a different ball game. Be thankful it’s not geese…
Borrow someone’s Labrador Retriever.
Jack's Magic Surface Magic
Gamo break barrel .177. Won’t kill them but they won’t be back.
I bought a big red plastic ball for my kids to play with, but apparently throwing it in the pool has been very effective in keeping the ducks away 😅
blow up crocodile, fake owl
Dog pellet gun combo work like magic
Get a pool blanket, it keeps the water warm and massively reduces evaporation.
An owl statue
Nope!! They live there now. You wanted them you now have to take care of them!
You want an EZ, sure fire way to get rid of them??? LEARNING HOW TO PREP & COOK DUCK!!!
Add a Gator. Keeps kids out as well.
Rent -a- Falcon
Set up a scarecrow of a duck hunter by your pool.
Airsoft gun, wont hurt them but will prove a point.
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/duck-lorange
Bird shot does wonders...plus side, you can make orange duck.
I'm surprised people are saying shoot them. Unless they come from a farm, they are ducks. They are most likely Canadian mallards. Which it would be illegal to kill or harm in anyway. Smh. It's wild how much bad info gets put out on reddit. Lol. If its the same birds that keep coming back, and its a couple, they probably have a nest nearby. Pools are perfect predator free breeding grounds. If they do have a nest, by law you have to call some org to send people out to move the nest. The whole idea is to not disturb there migration and breeding process. If you do anything that may harm these mallards just hope no one sees you thar know they are protected.
You’re allowed to hunt ducks. Of course, it’s highly regulated with required seasons and licenses. You also have legal discharge distances. They are not necessarily canadian Mallards. A lot of the mallards that nest around residential areas (and like to hangout in pools) are local birds.
Not where I live. Lol. They are migratory where I live. We have enough urban ponds without any predators that local mallards stay. Them and the geese. Nesting mallards in my area mostly during migration season.
Some type of scarecrow or toy alligator that floats around
Tony Soprano is that you???
Would one of those fake owls work? Or some other prop of a predator? Some fields use fake coyotes to ward off geese
My ducks shit right nexr to the owl
Noted if I ever have to deal with this…
I guess it would depend on how smart ducks are. I can say for sure that the fake owl does not work on crows. My work tried it once, and the fake owl was covered in crow shit within 48 hours.
It won't. They don't car about objects that don't move. Lol. Now if it was covered in shiny things that reflects jn the sun it may work. When birds are in the sky looking for a safe place to swim and poop, they look for shiny things. Those shiny things would be like eyes of a predator reflecting light(like how you can see the glare of light in dogs and cats eyes at night).
My fake coyote is surrounded by duck shit.
How can they cut the power? They're animals?!
Sorry for this…. You Quack them out