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How To Handle An Unwanted Alligator In Your Backyard Pool
By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS
Common in Texas and the southeast US, alligators spend a lot of time in fresh water and can sometimes end up in pools. However, it's essential that you don't remove them yourself.
Small alligators will bite, which isn't necessarily dire but can still lead to infections. In states like Florida, handling alligators is against the law entirely.
If there's a gator in your pool, call animal control or your local nuisance alligator hotline. Keep children and pets away from the backyard and maintain distance yourself.
You may be able to place a long piece of wood in the shallow end of the pool to create a ramp if it's farther away but, to be safe, call wildlife control regardless.
No matter what, do not attempt to touch the alligator or poke it with objects to try to make it move. Wait for a professional to safely evict it from your backyard pool.
The pool's chlorine should kill any germs the gator left behind. To kill leftover bacteria, increase the free chlorine concentration to two parts per million and lower the pH.
To prevent alligators from entering your pool again in the future, build a fence around the area that's at least 5 feet tall. They can climb, so avoid chain link fences.