Keeping Frogs out of Your Pool

Every pool owner cherishes a refreshing, unobstructed swim. But sometimes, nature has other plans, especially when local frogs decide your pool is their new favorite hangout.

While these amphibians might seem harmless, their presence can disrupt the pool’s balance and your peace of mind.

We will explore effective strategies on how to keep frogs out of pool water, ensuring a frog-free swim season.

This tends to be more of an issue for pool owners of an inground pool rather than an above ground pool as it is much more difficult for frogs to get into an above ground.

Frogs lay eggs (frog spawn) in water so if you can stop them from doing so, they will move out of your yard to somewhere better suited to them.

9 ways to keep frogs out of a pool

As a pool owner, you’ll know how tedious dealing with frogs is. While frogs are friendly, they can be a nuisance once they start living in your pool.

Here’s how you can get rid of them.

1. Install a pool fence so frogs can’t get to your pool

Install a pool barrier with a solid component at the bottom to stop frogs from hopping into your pool. The best material you can use is a perspex sheet.

You could invest in a glass panel fence as well. This would be more effective as it will keep frogs and other animals away from your ground pool. Moreover, it provides protection against the wind, so you won’t have to worry about debris, dust, and sand blowing into your pool water.

2. Get a pool cover so frogs have no way into your pool

The most effective way to keep frogs out of your pool is by investing in a cover. You may not want to spend a lot on these or have to roll them in and out every day, but pool covers are the only foolproof way to keep frogs away.

So if you don’t use your pool every day and are willing to invest in a cover, you should definitely consider buying one. Pool covers also reduce the need for filtration and chemicals as they keep your pool clean.

This cuts down on the money required for pool maintenance and saves you costs in the long term. Also, covers reduce evaporation which saves water.

3. Turn off unnecessary pool lights at night

Lights attract insects which in turn attract frogs.

If your swimming pool has lighting that stays on during the night, you’ll create an environment where this food chain can flourish. Discourage frogs from coming to your pool by turning off these lights.

You can do this in a couple of ways:

• invest in motion sensor lights, so they only turn on when there’s someone in or near the pool
• turn the lights off before you go to bed
• set your lights on a timer, so they automatically switch off at night

4. Keep pool water flowing and eliminate stagnant water

Frogs are attracted to standing water. This allows them to have a safe environment for laying eggs and spending the night. Stagnant water also attracts insects like worms. Since these are natural prey for frogs, they tend to gravitate towards such pools.

If you keep the pool pump running, frogs won’t like your pool and will stay away from it. You can also get a feature to keep the water in your pool moving.

Running a pool filter constantly, even when you don’t need to clean water, can be costly. Getting a water feature costs less. However, it tends to be a bit noisy which may disturb you and your neighbors. This becomes less of an issue if your pool is in your basement.

But using water features in a backyard pool can be a bit of a nuisance. So if you decide to get rid of frogs with one of them in an outdoor pool, make sure you look into how noisy it is before purchasing it.

5. Do regular garden maintenance to remove any hiding places

Ensuring that the general pool area is maintained can help keep frogs and toads away from your pool. Make sure the lawn is trimmed regularly and doesn’t have objects like logs or rocks.

Tall grass and other small hiding spots like open drain pipes are super attractive for frogs who hide out in them during the day. They then move to the pool at night in search of food or water.

If you can remove the stones and rocks, trim the grass, and cover any crevices where frogs can live, they will move on to another house and stop bothering you.

6. Use a chemical barrier to deter frogs

Another method pool owners can use for keeping frogs away is setting up chemical barriers on the boundary of a pool. Pour some citric acid or lemon juice into a spray bottle and spray it on the edges of your pool. In a few days, you’ll scare them away and not have to deal with pool frogs anymore.

Some people prefer used coffee grounds but since this ingredient tends to have a strong smell, we don’t recommend it. Everyone may not like the scent, and you could upset swimmers. Instead, it’s better to use something like a vinegar solution which has a much softer and less long-lasting odor.

Also, try to avoid using too much chlorine in an attempt to deter frogs from coming into your pool because of its smell. The frogs will still go in, and you’ll just end up killing them. Then you’ll also have to deal with dead frogs every day.

7. Add a frog log to give frogs a way out of the pool

Once frogs hop into a pool, it becomes really difficult for them to get out. This is because the distance from the surface of the water to the top of the pool edge is really long. Most frogs can’t make that jump, particularly from within the water.

Giving them a frog log to help them come out of it will help it leave. It is better to put a frog log at either end of your pool to give them a better chance of finding them to get out.

Alternatively, you can get a small pad or ramp that connects to the edge of the ground above your pool. Anything that gives frogs a surface to hop onto and then hop off from the ground will get the job done.

The most popular version on Amazon is the Hydrotools Frog Log.

These can also allow other animals that end up in your pool to climb out. In my pool that applies to small lizards and hedgehogs but it can also help mice, rats, raccoons and many other species.

8. Keep your pool warm to minimize its oxygen content

Frogs absorb oxygen through their skin. This process continues when they’re in the water. Warm water is less oxygenated than its cooler alternative which is why you’ll find frogs and toads living in relatively cold water bodies.

If you can heat up your pool using a solar pool cover, pool heater, or solar rings, you’ll immediately see a drastic decrease in the number of frogs in or around your pool. See post Solar pool covers.

9. Clean your pool regularly to remove algae

A frog’s natural habitat is a pond. The only important difference between them and a pool is that ponds have algae. If you stop cleaning your pool regularly, it will start developing this microbe and begin replicating a frog’s natural home.

This does nothing except attract frogs and toads and invite them to lay eggs in your backyard. Keeping your pool clean keeps frogs away.

Frequently asked questions

Here are a few other common questions people ask.

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