The concern that backyard swimming pools might attract snakes is common, especially during warmer months. While a chlorinated pool is not a snake’s preferred natural habitat, the surrounding environment often provides resources reptiles actively seek. Snakes are ectotherms, meaning they must regulate their body temperature externally and require water and food sources to survive. A pool area can inadvertently offer these necessities, making it a temporary stopover.
Why Snakes Seek Out Pool Environments
Snakes seek out pool environments primarily for hydration, especially during hot or dry weather. They require water, and a backyard pool, moist soil, or standing water can serve as a readily available source when natural sources dry up.
The areas surrounding the pool also offer thermal refuge from high temperatures. Shaded spots underneath pool equipment, decks, or debris provide cool, damp microclimates. Snakes utilize these cooler spots to lower their body temperature, moving between sun-exposed areas and shaded retreats to maintain their optimal physiological range.
The pool environment can also become a concentrated feeding ground. Lawns and water features attract small amphibians and rodents, which are primary prey items for many snake species. The presence of prey draws snakes into the immediate vicinity.
Identifying Common Water and Poolside Species
When a snake is found actively swimming, it is often a true water snake, typically belonging to the non-venomous genus Nerodia. These semi-aquatic snakes, such as the Common Watersnake, are proficient swimmers and divers that actively hunt for fish and amphibians. They readily enter water in search of food or to escape a perceived threat.
Many other terrestrial snake species, both harmless and venomous, end up in pools accidentally. These snakes may be traveling through the yard or seeking refuge on the pool deck and simply fall into the water. Once in the pool, the smooth, vertical walls make it extremely difficult for them to climb out, turning the pool into a trap.
A snake, especially a water snake, may flatten its head when threatened, causing it to be mistaken for a venomous species like a cottonmouth. Due to the difficulty in positive identification and potential danger, homeowners should never attempt to handle or remove any snake themselves. The safest course of action is to call a professional wildlife removal service or allow the snake to exit the area on its own.
Practical Steps for Snake Deterrence
Reducing the appeal of the pool area involves modifying the habitat to eliminate food sources and hiding spots. Homeowners should focus on controlling the prey population by removing sources of standing water, such as leaky spigots or planters, which breed frogs and insects. Securing trash cans and removing fallen birdseed or pet food will also minimize the presence of rodents that snakes hunt.
Yard maintenance is an effective physical deterrent, as snakes prefer areas with dense cover. Regularly trimming shrubs and maintaining a short lawn near the pool deck makes the area feel exposed and less welcoming. Removing debris piles, such as stacks of wood, rocks, or yard clippings, eliminates the cool, dark shelter snakes use to rest and regulate their temperature.
Installing a physical barrier can prevent entry into the pool area completely. A snake-proof fence, often made of fine-mesh hardware cloth, should be installed around the perimeter of the yard or pool structure. This barrier must be buried a few inches into the ground and angled outward to prevent snakes from burrowing underneath or climbing over.
Addressing the pool itself can help prevent accidental entrapment. Covering the pool securely when it is not in use, especially overnight, physically blocks access to the water. For any snake that does fall in, placing an easily accessible escape ramp or rope in the pool provides a means for the reptile to climb out safely without needing human intervention.