How To Keep Frogs Out of Pool

Imagine wanting to jump into your pool after a long hot day, only to find yourself surrounded by slimy frogs. Scenes like these are nightmares.

Whether frogs are already invading your swimming pool or want to learn how to prevent their invasion, you are in the right place.

This guide will discuss what attracts them to swimming pools and practical ways to keep them away.

In the following sections, we will walk you through eight foolproof strategies to keep frogs out of swimming pools. But before we go into the nitty-gritty of that, let’s first make sense of their behavior.

Why Are Frogs Drawn to Pools?

Frogs do not see your private pool the way you see it. It may be a fun, relaxing area for the family. But to these amphibians, there is no difference between the chlorinated water in your pool and regular clean drinking water.

So, they may enter your pool for many reasons, like to find food or quench their thirst.

Many insects are naturally drawn to water and swimming pool lights. Unfortunately, they may get stuck there, unable to fly out. These insects are some of the things that bring frogs to your swimming pool.

However, a swimming pool is not sloppy, unlike ponds and other water bodies. That means when frogs enter your swimming pool, coming out may be difficult, and they may drown.

Drowned frogs floating in your pool are an unnecessary inconvenience that nobody wants. In the next section, you will learn how to stop frogs from entering your pool in the first place.

8 Ways To Keep Frogs Out of Pools

A mere “No Entry” sign cannot keep frogs away from your pool because they can’t read.

But, by following any of these strategies below, you can successfully secure your pool from a threatened infestation:

1. Install a Pool Fence

If you do not have a pool fence, this is a time to install one. For one, a pool fence can serve as a security tool, protecting little children from swimming unsupervised. It can also help keep amphibians away from chlorinated water.

However, you must be careful with the fence you decide to use around your pool. Not every material will create an effective fence.

For example, a regular chain-link or wire fence may only slow frogs down. It will not keep them away. This is because wire fences have too many holes, and frogs can easily slip through them.

What you need is a fence made from solid or a stronger alternative. These provide a stronger barrier, preventing these unwanted visitors from entering your pool.

2. Turn Off Your Pool Lights

There is no difference between leaving your pool lights on overnight and hanging up a “Free Buffet” sign. Bugs are drawn to these pool lights because they depend on lights for their navigation.

The reflection of light coming from your pool may confuse them, and they may mistake it for the moon. As a result, they may fly into the water and get stuck — you know what comes next.

Wherever there are bugs, you are sure to find frogs hanging around. If you don’t want this problem, it may be best to turn off your pool lights when not in use.

Turning off your pool lights also helps you save electricity. So, it is a win-win situation.

3. Cover Your Pool

Just as you turn off your pool lights when not in use, it makes sense to cover your pool too. That way, the water is not visible to frogs and other pests that may be tempted to fall inside it.

Many people do not like the stress of rolling out a pool cover before using the pool. But its benefits outweigh the discomfort. For example, you get a cleaner pool with no insects floating on the surface. A pool cover further reduces the chances of your pool water evaporating.

Apart from these, a pool cover gathers debris, leaves, and dirt, preventing them from floating on the water. It further blocks UV rays from affecting the chlorine in your swimming pool.

However, it is not enough to buy a pool cover. If it is not secured tight to the pool, this frog-prevention strategy may not be effective.

Get a pool cover with metal anchors to lock it in place for the best results. That way, little children, pets, and pests cannot slip past it.

4. Stir the Swimming Pool Water

Frogs love stagnant water because it makes it easier for them to lay eggs. On the other hand, troubled water creates an unstable environment that frogs hate, forcing them to stay away.

Installing a fountain in your swimming pool may help disturb the water and make insects and frogs uncomfortable. Alternatively, you can run a pool pump overnight to move the water and produce chlorine. That is, if it is a saltwater pool.

Frogs can neither settle to lay eggs nor catch insects with your swimming pool moving constantly. As a result, they will relocate to a more convenient pool.

5. Use Deterrents

Another way to keep frogs out of your swimming pool is to use homemade or chemical deterrents. Vinegar is an example of an effective kitchen remedy against these slimy pests.

Pour generous amounts of vinegar around your pool using a spray bottle. Or dilute with some lemon juice and spray as normal around your pool.

Ground coffee is another kitchen ingredient you can use. Sprinkle coffee grounds on your pool edges to deter frogs.

Both vinegar and coffee grounds irritate frogs’ skin, while lemon juice creates a burning sensation that scares them off. When sprayed directly on frogs, the citrus acid in lemon juice can kill them.

Once they perceive these scents around your pool, they are less likely to go that way.

Bleach burns almost anything it touches, and frogs are not left out. When drops of bleach touch a frog, it stings them and will not avoid any area.

However, bleach is a harsh chemical that should be used with caution. It can kill the grass, flowers, and vegetables growing around your swimming pool.

So, if you must use this strategy, ensure you use a spray bottle and be careful around your landscaping.

6. Turn Up the Heat

Unlike humans, frogs breathe in oxygen through their skin because it is permeable. Cold water typically has a higher oxygen level than warm or hot water.

Frogs are drawn to colder pools because they offer them a safer environment to thrive. Heating your pool can signal frogs to stay away, as there is no sufficient oxygen for them.

There are many heating options for regular home pools, like solar covers, pool heaters, and more. A solar cover, for instance, serves double functions.

It can prevent insects, frogs, and even unsupervised humans from falling into your pool. Then, it gathers sun heat using its solar mechanism and dumps it into your pool.

That way, the pool water stays warm while the sun is out, and the cover prevents brave frogs from entering. Even if frogs find their way somehow into your pool, the warm water will soon chase them out.

7. Trim Your Lawn

A thick patch of overgrown weeds is a clear invitation to frogs and other pests. It offers them a secure hiding place before they can jump into your pool when no one is looking.

Cleaning the area around your pool and lawn can divert frogs to another area. Frogs are not entirely bad for your garden, as they help keep insects under control.

But you don’t need them around your pool area. Frequent lawn mowing can send them off to other places.

Remove all potential hiding spots like logs of wood and big rocks. Close all drain pipes and other gaps where frogs may hide during the day. With no visible shelters, they will feel exposed and relocate somewhere else.

Avoid using fertilizers containing ammonia to kill these unwanted frogs. These fertilizers are toxic, and frogs exposed to them die horrible deaths. Unless you enjoy picking frog carcasses from your garden, try other humane methods.44

8. Buy a Frog Log

The only reason why frogs die in swimming pools is that they are trapped and can’t swim out. These trapped frogs can climb their wait out of your pool with some resistance.

This is where a frog log comes into the picture to create an escape plan. A frog log is similar to a rescue ramp.

You place this device near your pool’s edge, with something to weigh it down in the water. A frog log typically has a floating ramp that frogs can use to climb out.

Once on the ramp, they can easily climb out of your pool, using the frog log for balance. That way, there are no dead frogs to remove in the morning and less mess to clean up.

Frog logs are affordable in local stores, making them one of the inexpensive frog-preventing strategies.

Conclusion

Although frogs help with pest control, you don’t want them in your pool for many reasons. For one, they carry bacteria and can spread them through your pool, especially if the chlorine levels are low.

Fortunately, there are many ways to keep frogs out of pools, like installing a fence and using repellants. We discussed eight solid ways to deal with the situation. We recommend applying two or more strategies at once for the best results.