What if anything is eating the swimming pool?

[Nicepix 5,650]

I've just been out to one of my mole trapping customers who has become a good friend to my wife and I. While I was there he mentioned something about a problem in his swimming pool. A hole has appeared in the plastic lining just above the water line and a couple of inches below the concrete lip. The hole is about 2cm x 1cm and is irregular without being ragged or having any signs of having been nibbled. A similar hole appeared last year in the same price. It looks to me like impact damage rather than having been gnawed. If it were a crow or similar bird then it would have to lean right over and peck under its own feet. There is no signs of herons and I felt inside the hole and there is no damage to the insulation between the liner and the concrete wall. If it were a rodent it would have to have climbed up almost 2 meters from the base and there is no obvious signs of access or nearby activity.

I am at a loss so I thought about throwing the question open to the THL massive for any suggestions.

[jiggy 3,209]

My guess would be crane (heron) drop in at night have a poke about and if no fish about then slip away before it's bright. I had something banging on my patio doors for a week at 5 am during summer and I thought it was a burglar. Every time I came down the hallway and opened the kitchen door and walked over to patio doors there was nothing there. After the 4th time I left kitchen/hall door wide open so as not to make noise if I had to sneak down. Next morning same thing and I creeped down hallway and peeked out and here was a grey crow bouncing off the glass fighting with his reflection. Air gun soon sorted him and his 3 brothers. I regularly hear cranes flying over my house in middle of night. It's surprising how they can see in dark. They are surprisingly agile for a clumsy looking bird. I seen one jump off a river bank 4 feet high and it landed 6 feet across the water and nailed a nice wild brown trout. Before that I thought they just stood in water and waited for something to swim under them. It's amazing what happens when we are tucked up in bed.

[Nicepix 5,650]

No pics, sorry. That is why I described it as an irregular rectangular hole.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Nicepix

[jiggy 3,209]

27 minutes ago, Nicepix said:

I've just been out to one of my mole trapping customers who has become a good friend to my wife and I. While I was there he mentioned something about a problem in his swimming pool. A hole has appeared in the plastic lining just above the water line and a couple of inches below the concrete lip. The hole is about 2cm x 1cm and is irregular without being ragged or having any signs of having been nibbled. A similar hole appeared last year in the same price. It looks to me like impact damage rather than having been gnawed. If it were a crow or similar bird then it would have to lean right over and peck under its own feet. There is no signs of herons and I felt inside the hole and there is no damage to the insulation between the liner and the concrete wall. If it were a rodent it would have to have climbed up almost 2 meters from the base and there is no obvious signs of access or nearby activity.

I am at a loss so I thought about throwing the question open to the THL massive for any suggestions.

When you say plastic do you mean hard plastic casing pool liner or am I thinking that this might be one of those outdoor pools with a mushroom growing poly tunnel type shelter over the pool?

[Nicepix 5,650]

The liner is stiff like a thin plastic and there is some sort of insulation between it and the concrete wall. The pool is uncovered at the moment and in the past there have been frogs and mice getting into it. A heron strike could be a possibility, but the owner hasn't seen any herons in over ten years that they've lived there and I couldn't find any scat.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

No pics ,never happened 

[stormyboy 1,352]

You're in trouble now Clive! If you think earth thrower was bad, the seeker of truth is on the case now! 

I dont believe that hen killed the fox in your avatar FD. 

 

[tilimangro 1,013]

I had this earlier this year and it was squirrels

not sayinh yours is 

but don’t rule anything out

[Greyman 28,743]

Get a trail cam up, this will just be a guessing game without at least a pic of the holes, I do get rats between my pond liner but they have never chewed through it, squirrels and crows are your two most likely so far me thinks

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

On 03/04/2019 at 09:01, stormyboy said:

You're in trouble now Clive! If you think earth thrower was bad, the seeker of truth is on the case now! 

I dont believe that hen killed the fox in your avatar FD. 

 

Sew my sides up someone .

[stormyboy 1,352]

24 minutes ago, foxdropper said:

Sew my sides up someone .

You said that on another thread.....

Same reply......

[Nicepix 5,650]

38 minutes ago, Greyman said:

Get a trail cam up, this will just be a guessing game without at least a pic of the holes, I do get rats between my pond liner but they have never chewed through it, squirrels and crows are your two most likely so far me thinks

The two incidents are several months apart and the pool is sunken into the ground. The damage is at the deep end so whatever did it has climbed up around 6 foot to get above the water line. They haven't got squirrels and if they had they'd be red ones. No greys here.

I'll get a photo next time I go over there if Ted hasn't put another sticking plaster over the hole.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

4 minutes ago, stormyboy said:

You said that on another thread.....

Same reply......

Sorry mate .Did your post warrant a full page reply ....

Answer ,no it didn’t .

Run along and find a window to lick 

[stormyboy 1,352]

That's only your opinion. I feel a witty comeback of at least 120 words would have been more appropriate. Come on now you can do better.

How did you know I like the taste of glass anyway? You are indeed a sleuth of immeasurable talent FD.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

No ,just your thick as f**k mate