Snowbirds and mallards fight over pool in The Meadows

The pool at Springlake in The Meadows has gotten several new decorations over the past few weeks — an owl statue, CDs hung from strings, a flamingo float, several inflatable snakes and one inflatable alligator.

It takes a lot of effort to deter a few determined ducks. 

Ducks gliding around a lake is a pleasant addition. The water is dark enough that their cute, little webbed feet paddling under the surface are hidden from view, as is all the feces they’re leaving behind. 

It’s not so pleasant when they’re paddling through the crystal clear water of a community pool, and the feces is cascading to the pool’s cement bottom.

That requires additional cleaning and chemical treatments. It also causes disrupted pool hours and unhappy residents. 

“It’s just like if a child goes to the bathroom, they have to close down the pool, shock it and do all the stuff they need to do to bring the pH back to the level that it’s safe for people to swim,” said Sharon Godlewski, a director on the Springlake Homeowners Association. 

Courtesy image

The pool was shut down for over a week before the last mallard standing finally took the hint. Godlewski noted that the community has another pool that sits right on a lake, but the mallards have no interest in that pool. 

The problem started with four ducks, but three were easily deterred by the host of fake wildlife. The last duck was more daring. He flew right past the faux snakes and swam side-by-side with the larger-than-life flamingo as if he found a new friend.

The mallard had made a routine of an early-morning swim. 

The owner of the pool company that services The Meadows’ pools told Godlewski that ducks especially prefer pools over lakes in the early morning hours because the water in a pool is warmer. 

The final solution that stopped the mallard from flying into the pool were low lying strings in a crisscross pattern reminiscent of a movie scene where a thief has to navigate under and over a series of laser lights to get to a prized jewel. 

The strings deterred the duck, but also posed a major tripping hazard for pool-goers. 

But as the saying goes, don’t fix what’s not broken. The strings remain, but they’ve been elevated and now include CDs. 

Gardeners all over the internet swear by the method to keep birds away. Sunlight reflects off the shiny surface of the CDs, creating flashing lights as the CDs spin in the wind.