If you look into your backyard pool and notice hundreds of tiny wriggling black creatures, chances are you have a tadpole infestation. Tadpoles are the larval stage of frogs and toads before they morph into adults. While they are a normal part of the life cycle of amphibians, having too many tadpoles in your pool can be a nuisance.
Tadpoles need water to survive, so they are naturally drawn to pools for feeding and developing. A pond or pool provides an ideal breeding ground if adult frogs or toads laid eggs there earlier in spring. The eggs then hatch into tadpoles that grow over the summer.
How Did Tadpoles Get in My Pool?
There are a few ways that tadpoles may have gotten into your pool:
- Adult frogs or toads laid eggs in the pool – Frogs and toads are attracted to water sources like pools and ponds to lay eggs. If you have frogs living nearby, they likely hopped into the shallow end and deposited eggs which later hatched into tadpoles.
- Tadpoles washed in during heavy rain – Strong rains can wash tadpoles into a pool from nearby ponds or flooded areas. They get swept in through drains or over the sides.
- Transported on pool toys or supplies – Tadpoles are small and can unintentionally get scooped up with pool skimmers, nets, or on floaties and toys left out. This allows them to get transferred into your pool.
- Carried in by birds or animals – Birds may drop tadpoles into a pool if carrying them in their beaks from one water source to another. Small animals like frogs, raccoons, or squirrels may also drag them in on their feet or fur.
Are Tadpoles Harmful to My Pool?
In most cases, tadpoles will not cause damage to your pool or its equipment. However, having a large tadpole population can create some problems:
- Clogged filters – As tadpoles grow, they produce more waste. Excess waste can quickly clog up pool filters, hampering water circulation.
- Algae growth – Tadpole feces provide nutrients that can fuel algae blooms in your pool, turning the water green.
- Bacteria – A buildup of waste also encourages bacteria growth in the water, reducing sanitation.
- Damage to pool liner – Thousands of tadpoles wriggling against the pool liner can scratch or wear down the protective vinyl surface over time.
- Unsightly appearance – Most people do not want to swim in a pool teeming with swarms of tadpoles. They are unappealing to look at and make the pool less usable.
Should I Just Leave the Tadpoles Alone?
While tadpoles may not seem immediately problematic, it is best not to just leave them alone in your pool. Here’s why:
- They will die – Tadpoles require fresh water and food to transition into adult frogs. A chlorinated pool lacks the essentials to sustain them as they grow. Most will die off.
- Dead tadpoles can foul water – As tadpoles expire, their decaying bodies release ammonia into the water, making it a challenging environment for any remaining live tadpoles.
- Can overrun the pool quickly – A single female frog can lay up to 20,000 eggs. If just a small fraction hatch and mature, you’ll have an exponential tadpole explosion in your pool within weeks.
- Harder to remove later – Eliminating thousands of fully grown tadpoles is much more difficult than removing them in early stages when populations are smaller.
For these reasons, it is advisable to intervene early and take action to get tadpoles out of your pool.
How to Get Rid of Tadpoles in a Pool
If your pool has been invaded by an armada of tadpoles, here are humane yet effective ways to tackle the problem:
Adjust Chlorine Levels
Increasing the chlorine level is often the simplest solution for eliminating tadpoles from your pool. The recommended chlorine level for pools is 1-3 ppm (parts per million). Raise the chlorine to the higher end of that range – around 3 ppm. The higher chlorine concentration will irritate and potentially kill off the tadpoles. Maintain these levels for a few days until you notice a decline in the tadpole population.
Be sure to lower chlorine back down to normal levels after treating the pool. High chlorine for extended periods can damage the liner and equipment. Also, remember to adjust chlorine levels gradually. Drastic spikes can temporarily make the water toxic.
Vacuum the Pool
Use a manual vacuum or automatic pool robot cleaner to vacuum up tadpoles and debris on the pool floor. Vacuuming removes a portion of the tadpole population immediately and helps prevent dead tadpoles from fouling the water. Pay particular attention to vacuuming in corners, crevices, and around ladders where tadpoles may gather.
For best results, try vacuuming at night when tadpoles are less active. The suction of the vacuum may harm some tadpoles, so this is more humane than simply dumping out or draining the pool with tadpoles still inside.
Let Your Pool Filter Run Longer
Running your pool’s filter for extended periods can help clear out tadpoles also. Filters trap tadpoles against the mesh as water circulates through the system. This steadily reduces their numbers in the pool over time as more get filtered out.
Be sure to check the filter regularly for clogs from tadpole waste and debris. Rinse or backwash as needed to keep water flowing properly. The goal is to remove tadpoles through the filter, not overwhelm it.
Use a Pool Cover
Covering your pool with a tight-fitting solid cover can trap tadpoles so they cannot come up for air. This causes them to eventually expire due to lack of oxygen. Pool covers also block sunlight to discourage algae growth while you are treating the tadpole problem.
Ideally, leave the cover on for 5-7 days to ensure it eliminates all the tadpoles trapped underneath. Just be sure to remove any deceased tadpoles afterwards before uncovering the pool and continuing normal operation.
Drain and Refill the Pool
For severe tadpole infestations that resist other removal methods, draining and refilling the pool may be necessary. This provides a fully fresh start with clean water. It is arduous but 100% effective at removing all tadpoles.
First, drain the pool down to just a few inches of water using pumps and hoses. Tadpoles cannot survive this shallow depth. Use nets to scoop out any remaining tadpoles stranded in puddles before fully emptying the pool.
Once empty, give the entire pool a thorough scrubbing and cleaning. Fill it back up with fresh water and balance chemicals. Add chlorine right away to discourage any new tadpoles from entering. Going forward, try to identify and plug any gaps in fencing or landscaping that may allow future access by adult frogs.
Can I Relocate Tadpoles Safely?
While draining or chlorinating the pool will eliminate tadpoles, some pool owners prefer to remove and relocate them humanely. This can succeed with care and effort:
Find a Suitable New Home
Tadpoles require very specific conditions to survive outside of a pool. Shallow, vegetated ponds, marshes, or slowly moving streams and creeks are ideal habitats. Avoid moving tadpoles to crowded waterways or dumping them on land far from water.
Use a Fine Aquarium Net
Use a soft fine mesh net to collect tadpoles from the pool. Avoid pool skimmers or dense nets as these can damage delicate tadpoles. Gently scoop only a few at a time into the net.
Transport in Cool Water
Place netted tadpoles into a clean 5-gallon plastic bucket filled with some pond or stream water. This provides enough water volume and oxygen for short-term transport. Keep filled nearly to the top to prevent splashing.
Chill the water with ice packs or refrigeration to slow tadpole metabolism during transfer. Do not expose them to freezing temperatures.
Move Quickly and Release Gently
Keep transport time under 15-20 minutes. When ready, submerge the net with tadpoles briefly under water at release site. Gently roll the net to let tadpoles swim out on their own into new home. Scoop with care to limit stress and injury.
Avoid dumping buckets of water with tadpoles directly into new habitat. This can shock them with rapid changes in water conditions. Let them swim out into the new waters naturally instead.
Prevent Tadpoles from Returning
After successfully removing all tadpoles from your pool, take steps to discourage future infestations:
- Install tight mesh screens on all drains and skimmers.
- Seal any cracks or gaps in pool walls or decking.
- Use a pool cover when not in use.
- Maintain proper chlorine levels.
- Keep pool and filter cleaning routines.
- Divert rainwater runoff away from pooling near the pool edges.
- Keep landscaping trimmed away from pool edges.
With diligence, you can keep the tadpoles away and restore your pool back to a pristine and usable state.
When to Call a Pool Professional for Help
In some cases, tadpole overrun in pools can become a tricky issue to resolve on your own. Calling in a pool service pro may be wise if:
- Tadpole numbers are in the thousands and continue multiplying.
- You’ve tried various removal methods with limited success.
- Tadpoles have fouled the water, caused equipment damage, or restricted pool use for days.
- You need help draining, scrubbing, and refilling a heavily infested pool.
- Identifying and sealing entry points for future tadpole access proves difficult.
- Proper water chemistry and filtration cannot be maintained with the high tadpole waste levels.
Pool pros have specialized tools and expertise to tackle even the most severe tadpole infestations. They can prescribe the right combination of mechanical removal, chemicals, and prevention tactics to rid your pool of the pests and get it back to safe swimming condition.
Conclusion
Finding your backyard pool suddenly full of tadpoles can be alarming but is fairly common. While they pose no direct harm, tadpoles can quickly ruin the swimming experience and water quality if allowed to multiply unchecked. With some elbow grease and proper removal methods, you can eliminate an infestation and restore your pool’s sparkling clean appearance.
Be proactive at the first signs of tadpoles before populations explode. Try increasing chlorine, running filters more, vacuuming, or draining the pool completely. Relocation to a natural waterway is also an option if done carefully. Once tadpoles are under control, seal up any access points and maintain diligent care of your pool to discourage future unwanted amphibious visitors.