How many times have you heard noises in your backyard and sort of freak out? You think to yourself, “What was that?!? Raccoons, possum fight, cat brawl – what could be creating such a blood-curdling sound?”  You go outside to investigate only to find an unexpected visitor taking a dip in your pool!

It is not unusual to find an animal in your pool and most of them don’t pose a health risk to people, especially if you have a well maintained pool that will help kill off the germs.

Here are some things you can do to either remove them from the pool or prevent them from entering it in the first place. Pool alarms, fences and ramps are 3 affordable ways to create a safe way for the little critters to escape the water on their own or prevent them from entering the water at all. Do not try to handle a wild animal on your own. Call your local animal rescue center and ask for a professional to remove the animal and safely reintroduce to their natural habitat.

Sometimes, not all of the guests have the same fate. If you walk out and find that something has died in your pool, here are some steps to consider to properly remove the animal from the pool.

• Don’t allow anyone to swim in the pool.
• Put on disposable gloves.
• Use a net or bucket to remove the animal from the pool. Double bag the animal in plastic garbage bags.
• Clean the bucket or net you used to remove the animal.
• Take off the gloves and put them in the garbage.
• Put all garbage bags into a concealed trash can.
• Wash your hands immediately.
• Maintain the free chlorine in the pool at 2 ppm. Maintain the pH levels at 7.5 or less, and keep the temperature of your Orlando pools at 77°F or higher. The free chlorine and pH should remain at these levels for 30 minutes.
• Make sure that the filtration system is working properly.
• Disinfect the bucket or net you used by putting it in the pool for 30 minutes.

Remember – Call EASY POOLS if you are interested in building a pool or need help maintaining it.