It’s an early summer morning, and you can’t wait to take a dip in the pool. But out of nowhere, you discover uninvited guests in the water that could put a damper on your mood for the day!
Similar to snakes in a pool, mice in a swimming pool can be nightmare material for many. It’s one thing to have mice creeping in the house, but it’s another to have them sharing the same water as you!
While they’re not dangerous themselves, their presence usually comes with a few health risks if not taken care of immediately. Not to mention, they’re plain inconvenient.
We’ll be covering everything from reasons mice are attracted to your pool to preventative measures ensuring none would dare bother you again.
Why Do Mice Keep Falling in My Pool?
Though they’re a nuisance, mice don’t drop by your pool just to annoy or freak you out. There are a few good reasons that may be drawing them over.
- Some poor mouse might have wanted to take a few sips and accidentally fell.
- Depending on the season and weather, mice may seek shelter if the water happens to be cold during summer, and the same goes for warm water in winter.
- It’s not always the pool itself. Everything from random junk and debris lying around your yard to firewood and overgrowth will easily attract rodents over. They may then find their way to the pool out of luck.
- If a mouse is being chased by a predator, such as a cat or snake, it may not realize the danger of a pool as it tries to scamper away.
While mice can tread water for up to several days, they often end up drowning due to entrapment in the skimmer basket.
Health Issues Caused by Mice Falling in Your Pool
Mice in your pool don’t pose a major health risk generally. Their germs die out in a few minutes, thanks to the chlorine in the water, and they mainly spread disease among other mice.
However, if the mice die inside the pool and aren’t discovered, that raises some hygiene concerns.
It’s important to check the pool and skimmer daily to ensure you can rid the pool of any unwanted critters as quickly as possible.
If you discover a mouse enjoying a swim, kick it out as soon as you can! You don’t want any of its excrement in the water.
How To Remove Dead Mice from Your Pool
If you find a dead mouse in your pool, the CDC has outlined a few steps to help with that. Here’s a brief roundup of what you should do:
1 – Wear latex gloves, and grab either a bucket or a net to remove the dead mouse from the pool
2 – Use two trash bags—one inside the other—to put the dead mouse after you catch it using your net
3 – Thoroughly clean the item used to carry the dead mouse, preferably using bleach
4 – Throw the gloves inside the trash bags
5 – Close the trash bags and throw them inside a trash can to prevent wild animals from messing with it
6 – Immediately wash your hands with soap
7 – To clean the pool, keep the free chlorine concentration in the pool at two parts per million minimum
8 – Make sure pH levels aren’t any higher than 7.5
9 – Maintain the temperature at 25°C (77°F) minimum
10 – Hold the pH and free chlorine at these levels for half an hour
11 – Check whether the filtration system is working properly to make sure all the mouse’s traces are gone.
How To Keep Mice Out of the Pool
Better safe than sorry! Now that you know the common reasons mice often fall in your pool, it’s only right we discuss ways we can counter each of them and make sure they stay far, far away.
Here’s how to keep mice of out the pool:
Landscaping
A basic but crucial step to ensure no rodents sneak into your pool without your notice is to maintain proper landscaping. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before they become attracted to the water in your swimming pool.
Vegetation overgrowth provides the perfect environment for mice to take shelter and hide in. Some plants like English ivies and honeysuckles are quite attractive to rodents.
Additionally, mice can nest between stacked items that aren’t elevated above the ground. If you have messy areas around your pool, consider cleaning them.
Mice can make a shelter out of almost anything, so make sure to remove things like fallen leaves, tree branches, and the like.
As for garden beds, encase them in mesh, so mice won’t be able to squeeze through.
Installing a Pool Cover
A pool cover is super effective in keeping mice out of the pool. Whenever the pool isn’t in use, especially at night, make sure to cover the water completely.
The pool cover will help prevent critters from trying to sneak a drink.
The pool cover will also allow mice to remain on top of the pool’s surface, giving them opportunity to escape before drowning.
Install a Pool Fence
A pool cover can only go so far. Pool fences are perfect as another layer of defense. Installing a fence made of mesh or fine wire screen around the pool’s perimeter will do the trick.
Plastic and wood won’t do as mice are great chewers. Make sure that the openings are no bigger than a quarter of an inch; they’re pointless otherwise.
Mouse Deterrents
We mentioned a few plants that attract mice to your pool’s perimeter. Now we’ll list a number of them that may serve as mouse repellents.
Thankfully, a lot of these plants are useful in cooking. Oregano, rosemary, peppermint, onions, and garlic are all great choices to grow in your garden to keep rodents away.
Some flowers are also excellent for driving mice away while looking pretty in the process. They include lavender, daffodils, and marigolds.
They can all be placed around other fruits, vegetables, and flowers to deter mice from ruining your garden.
Additionally, using an owl decoy near the pool can be a decent deterrent of mice. However, after a while the rodents may figure out that the owl is not real and may eventually ignore it.
Floating Platform
You can help mice and other rodents escape from the pool by adding a small floating platform to your pool. The platform floats at the edge of the pool and allows critters to climb onto it for safety.
While these safety devices won’t necessarily prevent the mice from falling into the pool, it will help them get out on their own. This will minimize the amount of time they have to contaminate your pool while keeping them safe. Win-win for everyone!
Keep Mice Out of Your Pool Heater
Mice are often to blame for your pool heater malfunctioning out of nowhere. During winter, some may decide to make your pool heater their home to weather through the season.
This is where purchasing mothballs, chicken wire, steel wool, and wood paneling is highly recommended to protect the pool heater from all the nasty rodents. Mothballs are especially effective as mice can’t stand their smell whatsoever.
You can even place a few rubber snakes around the heater for more protection. As silly as it sounds, snakes and mice aren’t mortal enemies for nothing. The mice may get scared and stay away.
Final Takeaway
There’s no shortage of methods that can effectively rid your pool’s vicinity of mice, among other rodents. Fortunately, most of them are by no means costly, and a few might prove helpful in other areas.
Whatever your circumstances, hopefully, you’ve found the perfect solution for you and those rodents.
Happy (critter-free) Swimming!
Husband and father of three (actually, four if you include the pool). I’m an avid DIY-er and weekend warrior that enjoys taking up new projects around the house to help us maximize leisure right at home. I enjoy researching and sharing various tips, tricks and knowledge to help others make their home an oasis.
