Sure, the sight of a few ducks swimming around in your backyard pool is pretty heartwarming, at first. But if you don’t intend on running a backyard zoo, then you already know that they can’t stay for long. Yes, they’re small, fuzzy, and cute to look at, but your pool isn’t a local pond, and therefore no place for a duck to call home.
And let’s not forget about the other big reason ducks can’t 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.
11 Ways To Keep Ducks Out Of Your Pool and Yard
1.) Install a pool cover
Covering your pool is a great idea for a few reasons:
- It reduces heat loss (which lowers heating bills)
- It minimizes water evaporation (which lowers water bills)
- It keeps leaves and other debris out of the water
- And most important of all, it creates a barrier that keeps ducks out of your pool
That said, while using a cover immediately solves the problem of ducks swimming in your pool, it might not stop them from hanging around your yard.
However, if you combine this strategy with a few others from this post, then you’ll have no problem keeping those ducks out of your yard as well.
Related: 7 Things Florida Pool Owners Should Know In 2021
2.) Put your dog on guard duty
If you own a dog, then you already have a natural-born security guard for patrolling your pool.
Ducks immediately recognize most dogs as predators. And there’s nothing dogs love more than barking at things, and scaring off small birds and critters. So the second your dog starts chasing those ducks, they’ll be flying as fast as they can in the other direction — far too scared to even think of landing in your pool or yard.
With that said, keep in mind that ducks may not be intimidated by ALL dogs, especially smaller breeds. So if your dog isn’t one of those naturally protective breeds, then you might have to give them a little training on “guard duty” first.
3.) Use motion activated sprinklers to keep ducks out of your pool
While calm streams and still ponds are welcoming to ducks, being unexpectedly sprayed with water is a lot less fun.
Motion-activated sprinklers, as the name implies, trigger whenever any type of motion is detected. So if a duck happens to land or swim in front of one, they’ll quickly be greeted by a sudden spray of water, which is usually enough to catch them off guard and scare them off.
Thankfully, this is completely harmless to the ducks, but more than enough to keep them from hanging around.
4.) Use shark and alligator floaties to scare them off
If you don’t own a dog, then the next best thing you can do to keep ducks out of your swimming pool is to create the illusion of predators. And while that might sound complicated, it’s actually pretty easy.
You just have to make the ducks think that predators live in your pool. And you can do that by simply placing a few predator-shaped floaties in your water.
Floaties that are shaped like alligators, sharks, whales, or even snakes all work great as fake predators. And the more lifelike these floaties look the better.
5.) Run your robotic pool cleaner
When it comes to keeping ducks out of your swimming pool, a robotic pool cleaner works in a similar way to your dog or the floaties. It’s a machine that moves around unexpectedly in your pool and makes strange noises, so ducks get easily spooked by it and mistake it for a predator.
And what’s great about this tip is that running your automatic pool cleaner only serves to help you out since it keeps your water and pool surfaces cleaner anyway.
So with your dog patrolling the surface, and your pool cleaner guarding the water, you’ll have no problem keeping ducks out of your yard and swimming pool.
Related: 33 Backyard Inground Pool Ideas For All Budgets
6.) Install a plastic owl decoy to keep ducks out of your pool
You’ve probably seen these on rooftops or fences, and while they serve as great decor for your yard, they also serve a much bigger purpose. Plastic owl decoys are strategically used for the same reasons you’d keep your dog, the pool cleaner, and a few floaties around your pool.
Owls are natural predators to ducks.
So if you place a few plastic owl decoys near your backyard pool where ducks can easily see them, then it should help keep them away. But with that said, ducks are no dummies — eventually, they might catch on to the fact that the plastic owl sitting near your pool, that hasn’t moved an inch in days, might not be real.
And that’s why if you choose to use plastic owl decoys, it’s best to choose the ones that are the most lifelike. Certain models incorporate blinking eyes, a moving head, and motion-activated “hooting” sound effects. So for the best results, choose the owl decoys that are the most realistic.
7.) Ultrasonic animal repeller for birds
These devices work via motion sensor by emitting an ultrasonic, high-frequency sound (don’t worry, humans can’t hear it) that scares away pests and other small wild animals. And most of these products are solar-powered, so you can easily place a few wherever you’ve seen ducks in your yard.
Once they’re set up, any ducks that get too close will quickly be scared back into flight by the unexpected sound.
If you do a quick Google search for “ultrasonic animal repellers” you’ll find a few options available. Look over the features, check the reviews, and choose the one that meets your needs.
NOTE: Keep in mind that at a certain distance, dogs and cats will also be able to hear the sounds from the repeller as well. While it’s harmless to wildlife, the sound will still bother them and likely drive them away. So if you have any pets in the house, use these with caution
8.) Maintain a clean swimming pool
Believe it or not, the physical and chemical cleanliness of your pool directly affects a duck’s choice to land in it or not. And it makes perfect sense, because to a duck, there’s very little difference between a pond and your pool at first glance.
So by that logic, the less pond-like your pool appears, the less likely a duck will choose to go swimming in it.
To maintain a clean swimming pool, and prevent ducks from mistaking it for a pond:
- Sweep and clear all leaves and debris from the deck
- Brush and vacuum the pool each week
- Skim the water and keep it clear of leaves and debris
- Test water weekly, and add the chemicals needed to keep it balanced and sanitized
Related: 21 Pool Maintenance Mistakes That Are Wasting Your Time & Money
9.) Plant tall shrubs and trees (they avoid tall vegetation)
Ducks tend to avoid areas with tall trees and shrubs because it blocks their line of sight, and makes it hard to see incoming predators. So with that in mind, you can easily turn your backyard into the exact kind of environment ducks stay away from.
All you have to do is plant a few tall shrubs and trees around your pool area. And if you’ve been planning to do some pool landscaping, this is probably something you’ve already considered. So from here, look for a few pool-friendly plants and decide which ones look best in your space.
NOTE: Avoid planting any fruit-bearing trees or plants in your yard, as they’ll provide the ducks with a food source, making them more likely to stay
Related: 36 Pool-Friendly Plants | The Best Plants For Your Pool Area
10.) Install bird netting above your pool (Caution)
While we’d never recommend stringing transparent fishing line above your pool, safely installing bird netting can be a good alternative.
While the fishing line is cheap and easy to use, it poses a huge safety hazard. Most birds won’t see it, and will likely end up flying straight into it, getting tangled up. And at that point, you have an even bigger problem on your hands.
So instead of dealing with all of that, choose bird netting with good reviews that’s easy to see, and easy to remove should anything get stuck. This creates a simple barrier that not only deters ducks from landing in your pool but also keeps leaves and debris out of the water.
11.) Use Duck Off for pools
If we told you that there was a company that made a liquid duck repellent for pools by the name of “Duck Off” would you believe us?
Well, we hope so, because it’s a very real product. And while there a plenty of duck repellent products that you can spray on your grass and shrubs to keep ducks out of your yard, Duck Off is designed specifically for your swimming pool.
Duck Off duck repellent, by Lo Chlor, is harmless to wildlife and humans, and works by altering the surface tension of your water, making it extremely difficult for ducks to float. Simply add it to your water, run your filter, and you’re good to go.
That said, products like Duck Off should realistically be used as a last resort, since adding extra chemicals to your pool can sometimes affect the balance of the water.
Keeping those ducks out of your pool and yard for good
IF you follow and combine the tips in this post, then you’ll have no problems keeping ducks out of your swimming pool and backyard for good. It’s mostly a matter of creating an environment that ducks find unpleasant. And that means covering your pool, using a few scare tactics, and making your pool landscaping less duck-friendly.
By doing this, you keep the ducks safer, and your pool cleaner. A win-win for everyone.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
11 Simple Ways To Keep Frogs Out Of The Pool
How To Balance Your Pool Water In 7 Easy Steps
11 Ways To Reduce Pool Energy Use By 50%
