The presence of bats near a swimming pool can be startling, but these creatures are beneficial insectivores that should be deterred humanely rather than harmed. Bats seek out pool areas primarily for two reasons: a readily available water source and a concentrated food supply. Understanding these motivations is the first step toward implementing effective, non-lethal solutions to encourage bats to find alternative habitats. The methods for keeping bats away from your pool focus on environmental modification and physical exclusion, addressing both the food and water attraction points.
Why Bats Are Drawn to Pool Areas
Bats are drawn to swimming pools because the large, smooth surface of the water acts as a beacon in the night landscape. Most bats drink while flying, skimming the surface of still water in one fluid motion. They identify these water bodies by the unique acoustic signature produced by the flat surface reflecting their echolocation calls. This system instinctively interprets the smooth surface of pool water as an ideal drinking opportunity.
The need for water is especially strong for lactating female bats. While they are surprisingly capable swimmers, the sheer, vertical walls of a typical pool make it nearly impossible for a bat to climb out and take flight, often leading to drowning.
The second major draw is the abundance of insects, which are the primary food source for many bat species. Artificial lighting around pools, especially bright white or blue-spectrum lights, attracts large numbers of nocturnal insects. Bats flying low over the water are often actively hunting these insects. By eliminating the concentrated insect population, the area becomes less appealing for foraging bats.
Adjusting Lighting to Eliminate Insect Attraction
Managing your pool area lighting is an effective, non-structural way to reduce the bat population by removing their food source. Nocturnal insects, such as moths and mosquitoes, are especially attracted to short-wavelength light, which includes the blue and ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. Standard cool-white LED bulbs or mercury vapor lights emit a significant amount of this highly attractive light.
Switching to warmer-colored lights is a simple but impactful change. Look for LED bulbs with a color temperature of 3000 Kelvin (K) or less, preferably in the amber or warm yellow range. These long-wavelength lights are far less attractive to the insects bats feed on, naturally reducing the available prey in the pool area. Amber lights, in particular, have been shown to attract the fewest insect species overall.
Implementing strict timing controls for any remaining exterior lights further minimizes attraction. Use timers or motion sensors to ensure lights are only activated when necessary. Limiting light usage during the peak hours for insect activity and bat foraging (typically 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM) can significantly discourage bats near the pool.
Physical Barriers and Water Exclusion Techniques
The most direct method to deter bats is eliminating the water source they perceive as a pond. A solid pool cover, particularly an automatic safety cover, should be deployed immediately after use each evening. Covering the pool removes the large, smooth surface that reflects echolocation calls, effectively hiding the water from passing bats.
Preventing Roosting in Structures
For nearby structures, such as pool houses or cabanas, fine mesh netting can be used to prevent roosting in eaves or under overhangs. Bats can squeeze through openings as small as three-eighths of an inch, so exclusion netting must have a mesh size of three-eighths of an inch or less. This netting is hung over potential entry points, allowing bats to exit but preventing them from re-entering—a technique known as one-way exclusion.
If bats are suspected of roosting, exclusion must be timed carefully to avoid trapping young, flightless bats inside. In many regions, the maternity season runs from roughly May through August, and exclusion during this period is illegal. The safest time to install exclusion devices is typically in the late summer or early fall when all young bats are able to fly and leave the roost.
Safety Protocols and Humane Handling
Bats are a protected species in many areas, and it is illegal to use lethal methods to remove them. All exclusion efforts must be humane and non-lethal, focusing on deterrence and safe removal. If you find a bat struggling in the water, it is imperative not to touch it with bare hands.
If a bat is found alive in the pool, use a skimmer net to gently scoop it out without making direct contact. Place the bat in a safe, covered container outdoors and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator for advice, as even a bat that appears healthy may be exhausted or injured. To prevent drowning, floating animal escape ramps, often marketed for small animals like frogs and rodents, can be placed in the pool to provide a ladder for struggling wildlife to climb out.
There is a low but real risk of rabies transmission from bats, which is why handling must be avoided entirely. If a person or pet has had direct contact with a bat, or if a bat is found indoors, professional intervention is necessary to assess the risk. If a bat is found dead in the pool, follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for removal, which include wearing disposable gloves and disinfecting the pool water with an appropriate chlorine shock treatment.