WINK (Fort Mters, Florida) 15 July 07 Snakes in pools (Nadia Ramdass)
Greg Wear of Pool Doctor in Cape Coral has seen many things while cleaning pools throughout Southwest Florida. However, nowadays he not only sees people swimming but sometimes snakes.
"They end up in the shoot area between the pool and the skimmer basket, and when you really reach down in there it startles them and of course myself too," said Wear.
Experts say the reason why many of us see more of these scaly reptiles in our backyards and especially in pools during these hot summer days may simply come down to matters of the heart.
"This time of the year springtime going into the summer it's breeding season for a lot of animals snakes, lizards turtles, and toads," said Scott Gregory of the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium.
Gregory says some snakes even give birth in pools.
"They gave birth to about 10-15 of these babies. They lay eggs and the eggs were in the bottom of the skimmer pools so we had to take the egg," said Gregory.
Now with the breeding season in full-swing and snakes looking for a place to cool-off on hot days, Scott says we are probably going to see a lot more of them.
"We're in Florida. We're in a state of wildlife you got to learn to live with them." In the meantime, pool cleaners like Greg Wear says he is keeping a safe distance.
"They try to stay away from us and I try to leave them alone also. Then we get along pretty good," said Wear.
Experts say if you do encounter a snake in your pool do not handle it. Take a picture of the snake and then contact a licensed professional to remove it. Also, do not let your pet loose on the snakes to try to scare them away. You may be putting your pet in harms way especially if the snake is venomous.
Snakes in pools