Raccoon versus the Swimming Pool

I thought I would ask this group about their thoughts on a situation.

I am having a nightly visit from a raccoon.  We do not mind the visit accept he likes to poop in the pool.

So…

A) How can we keep the raccoon from pooping in the pool?

B) What is the best way to clean the poop out of the swimming pool?

Sorry to hear about your raccoon problems. I found the following information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Raccoons usually choose certain locations to defecate (poop) and then use those same places repeatedly. Raccoons can also be attracted to areas where humans live and play. In pools, raccoons usually defecate in the shallow areas (for example, on the steps).

Here are some tips for keeping raccoons out of your pool:

  • Cover the pool area that has been visited by raccoons.
  • Keep the fence around the pool closed.
  • Find out if anyone in your area is feeding raccoons, leaving pet food outside, leaving uncovered trash outside, or using trash cans that are not properly secured. Discourage this behavior as it could be attracting animals, particularly raccoons, to your pool.
  • Contact Animal Control (local governmentofficein charge of animal issues) or a pest control removal service to relocate the animal.

As far as the existing poop, you may want to have it tested for Baylisascaris. Baylisascaris is a roundworm parasite. People can become very ill if they are exposed to this parasite. Animal control should be able to test the poop for Baylisascaris if you can get them a sample. Be very careful and wear gloves when you gather the sample.

The CDC provides the following instructions for treating the pool if the raccoon excrement does have Baylisascaris.

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 (if possible). 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 waterafterwards*.*

Option 2:

  • Backwash the pool filter.
  • Drain and hose down the pool.
  • Put on disposable gloves to replace the material doing the filtering (if possible). 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 waterafterwards
  • Refill the pool.

If the test is negative, I would follow the directions in our article titled “Someone Pooped in My Pool. What Do I Do Now?”.

Good luck! Let us know how everything turns out.

I agree with the above-given guidelines. To prevent the wildlife interference it is important to install the pool cover to prevent raccoons from accessing the water. It is necessary to cover it daily to make them remember that your property is no longer a viable source of water. You can also use ammonia. Simply soak cotton balls in a bowl of ammonia and leave it right next to the areas you notice the most activity. If you are not sure you can manage nuisance raccoon problem just by applying the above recommendations, or your problem persists regardless of your attempts, you will need the assistance of a licensed and insured wildlife removal New Jersey like company that can provide safe and humane raccoon removal and control services.

I also have a swimming pool, and raccoons often come to us. Now they do it much less often than before, but just a few months ago, it was just a horror… A few raccoons would come into my house every night and throw garbage everywhere. We usually put our garbage next to the door, right at the gate. My husband takes out all the garbage by car in the early morning. But at night, this neatly stacked garbage in bags is scattered all over the site. I’m already silent about the pool… I have been looking for ways to deal with raccoons for a long time but then I realized nothing is complicated here. Everything is the same as in the fight against mouse pests. And after I started hiding everything everywhere and removing it from a prominent place, the situation improved. Raccoons come in very rarely.