Pool Covers – Can They Keep Ducks Out of Your Swimming Pool?

The answer is yes, all pool covers will deter ducks from swimming in your pool, but the degree of their effectiveness largely depends on which type of pool cover you choose and how you set it up. When pool owners ask if a pool cover will deter ducks from using their swimming pool, very often this question comes from those who have already tried a wide variety of other “would be” solutions. These will include such things as rubber snakes, paper eagles, blow up crocodiles etc. For the most part, these other solutions will only work for as long as it takes the ducks to realise that they do not represent a threat. After that time, most of those items are largely useless.

A pool cover on the other hand does not rely on scaring the ducks away. It simply denies the ducks what they really want which is access to the water. Once they realise they cannot gain access to the water, they move on as there are plenty of other swimming pools to choose from without pool covers.

Which type of pool cover is most effective in deterring ducks?

The “Leaf and Debris” or “Winter Cover” as they are sometimes known seem to be the most effective type of pool cover for this purpose. This is because they are fastened down at regular intervals around the circumference of the pool so that entry to the water cannot be made. The leaf and debris cover is manufactured slightly larger than the pool surface area so as to create an overlap of the cover onto the pool surrounds which further ensures that no entry to the pool water is possible. It is these two attributes that give a leaf and debris cover an advantage over say a solar bubble type of cover when it comes to keeping out ducks. Solar bubble pool covers lay on top of the water and also cover the entire pool. They are also considered useful in keeping out ducks, however, if rain water happens to collect on top of this type of cover, the ducks will see this as a place to swim.

A tip for setting up a pool cover to deter ducks

The one additional thing to do with a leaf and debris cover is to place something inflatable under the cover to hold the centre of it up out of the water. The idea is to keep the centre of the cover high and dry and away from the pool surface and so deny the ducks access to the water. Placing two or three beach balls, car inner tubes, inflatable pillows etc, under the cover at regular intervals will hold the centre of the cover elevated, and in the process create a pitched roof effect which will accomplish this.

There are other benefits that come with this type of pool cover as well

Ducks can create a great deal of mess both in and around your swimming pool which is both unsightly and unhealthy. Leaf and Debris covers were originally designed to keep leaves and rubbish out of swimming pools, and so you really do get a double benefit when they also deter ducks from taking up residence in your pool as well. The trick with placing some inflatable items under the cover will also keep any leaves and rubbish that fall on the cover dry and will therefore be much easier to remove. This can either be done with a petrol driven garden blower or the action of the wind itself.

So ducks do not need to be the problem that many pool owners see them as, and they do not need to be harmed to be persuaded to stay away from your swimming pool.

Ducks have long been looked upon as a pest when they decide to make your swimming pool their home. Many ideas have been tried in order to persuade ducks to find another place to stay, mostly without success. However, pool covers and in particular a leaf and debris style of pool cover can greatly assist in convincing ducks to move on to somewhere else. It does this by denying the ducks access to the water. Not only that, pool covers will also keep other rubbish out of your pool as well, saving cleaning time and helping to make your pool a healthier place to swim.