It's going to depend on the snake population in your area and the weather; but unfortunately if you're backing up to woods and a creek I'd say you can fully expect to get a snake (and other "visitors") in your pool now and then. In particular when things get hot and dry critters go on the prowl for new water sources. They don't seem to understand that our pools are off-limits, to them it's just a big watering hole, LOL! I've heard it's worse with beach entries because that makes access into the pool very easy for creatures great and small.

Hmmm, just think of all the great answers we could put here that have nothing to do with helping this person with their post......

1. Only when my lawyer friends come over for a bbq. da da dum!
2. Not any longer now the the job is finished. da da dum!
3. Not since the divorce is final. da da dum!

NEXT!
PS, no snakes here in So Cal pools. Just opossums and skunks.

What other kind of visitors -- frogs, bugs? I hope that's all! Well, if it's inevitable, will I at least be able to see something in the pool before swimming? I mean once you check the skimmer and visually inspect the pool, are there any other places they could be hiding? I would truly DIE if a snake swam up to me or my kids. Now I'm wondering if I'm cut out to have a pool! (sigh)

Thanks, Repair Guy, for making me laugh -- snake worries and all! :)

In the last three months, I've had three dead rats in the pool and one time a Lizard that almost looked like a snake. Rats can spread lot of diseases. Do I need to treat the water with something, if a dead rat is there? I tried searching on the web and one guy was recommending draining the pool!! Is that necessary? I also see lots of small Black flies (really small), especially in the corners of the pool (I am in SO cal and have a Grecian style pool). I am assuming they are normal and not a health hazard unless you guys tell me differently. The water is getting good circulation as I run teh pumps for 8 hours every day (2 at high speed and 6 at low speed)

Thanks
--Scal

mum -
How about a screen enclosure? That should keep the critters out - snakes and other varmints anyway. I still get lizards in mine, tho...

Hum, I was just thinking, thats why us Floridians install bird cages around our pools. Though we have lived here 2 years and had 2 small black snakes in the pool. We get lizards and tiny frog too:) I guess everyone needs to look before they leap!

We're in Texas and right on a lake, so far we've had a frog, which drove the dog insane, lots of spiders and too many leaves. Several of our neighbors have found snakes and one even found a tarantula. I think I'd be done with the pool forever at that point.

We don't have many critters around our place, but in the couple of months the pool has been running I've dumped probably a thousand june bugs out of the skimmers (no joke!) and nearly as many may flies. Luckily both are seasonal, so that has tapered off a lot in the last week.

Quote: "What other kind of visitors -- frogs, bugs?"

Yes, definitely. I pulled a small frog out of a skimmer, a baby rat and as mentioned above LOTS of bugs including a few spiders. I will say the skimmers are doing a fantastic job, there's rarely anything floating on the water.

Quote: "Rats can spread lot of diseases. Do I need to treat the water with something, if a dead rat is there?"

No, if your chemical balance is in check then all is fine. If you get it out alive, or intact within a day or so of it dying, you don't have anything to worry about. It's no different than a small puppy or kitten going for a swim in your pool. If a small critter dies and is stuck in the pool for an extended period at the worst you might have to shock the pool. But more likely you'd just need to bump up the chlorine. If you are not testing for free chlorine (FC) and combined chlorine (CC), then you need to get a better test kit. Whenever something happens to the pool that is abnormal (dead critter, heavy bather load, something gets washed in, algae blooms, etc.) then you want to check the CC level. Presence of CC indicates the pool is fighting something and a shock may be required to bring the CC back down.

I live in Texas also, and my yard backs up to a green space. I've fished two dead rabbits out of the skimmer and a few toads, but no snakes so far, although I've found a couple in my yard. I've had one good sized frog living in my pool off and on for the past few weeks. He doesn't bother me as he can get out on his own, and I figure he's eating lots of other bugs in the yard, and besides, I canÂt catch him (too fast). My neighbor got some sort of snake repellant/killer that he spreads along the back edge of his yard. I think he got it from a local exterminator. You could check with your local exterminator for something like that to keep snakes out of your yard (whether you have a pool or not).

Sorry, that should have been "combined chloramines" in my above post rather than "combined chlorine".

If anyone needs a great drop-based test kit, see the link below. This kit comes highly recommended through the TroubleFreePool forums. It is a very accurate and easy to use kit with excellent instructions.

Here is a link that might be useful: TF 100

In 25 yrs plus .... I've had .... deer, rats, lizards, gophers, and rattle snakes in my pool at one time or other. Ain't country livin' great!

We live in Middle Tennessee and the only animals found in our pool were 3 moles. We dont live near woods, but we do live in an area where new houses are being built. No snakes yet