One of the things I like best about ponds is they are major attractor of wildlife of all kinds. This benefit however can sometimes turn into a curse for your fish if the wrong type of critter show’s up.
Every year I get calls and emails concerning something like a Heron or Raccoon eating pond fish and often once one of these opportunistic hunters finds an easy meal, they’ll be back for more.
There are ways that you can protect your fish and I cover a few of those things in the two videos below. In the first one I talk about protecting your fish primarily from Herons and I should note that the decoy I talk about is best used after the heron breeding season from May on through the summer.
In the second I discuss a device we’ve used to good effect called the Scarecrow.
I’m not sure there is a full-proof way to protect your fish from everything, but the videos will give you a few ideas and hopefully help keep your fish a bit safer in the months to come.
Do you have a tried and true method of keeping your fish out of harm’s way? Post your thoughts below the videos.
Protecting Your Pond Fish Part Two
9 users commented in " Protecting Your Pond Fish "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackGreat Advice.
We purchased a ScareCrow last year and it is
a wonderful tool for keeping creatures away from the pond. Would highly recommend it!
Frankly, my neighbor bought a fake heron and a fake alligator. He moved them around everyday. The herons decimated his koi. He then placed wire in a grid over his pond to protect the remaining koi. The heron stood by the side of the water and waited for the koi to swim past. He didn’t eat many, but left several with deep gashes.
I use the motion detector “scarecrow”. It may keep other predators (raccoons), but the herons will stand in the spray all day long. If they get too close to the water source, it will cause them to move away, but it doesn’t deter the older, more grizzled looking herons. The scarecrow does provide a warning system since it sprays when something moves into its field — albeit one with many false alarms.
There are two methods that I’ve found effective. The most effective is a relatively fine mesh net. We’ve had herons try but haven’t lost a koi or had one damaged since staking the net across the pond. The 2nd is intriguing: I placed rat traps at strategic locations around the pond at points of entry. We lost a few traps — I imagine the predators took them — but few, if any fish. The issue with this approach is that they quickly rust in the dew/rain and become unreliable. They are also unsightly and a bit dangerous if you have small ones or pets.
The reason I call the rat trap approach intriguing is that I saw one heron get chased away after triggering a trap. It didn’t get the heron, but the sudden snapping sound (note rat, not mouse, trap) and 6″ bounce off the ground scared the heron. Unfortunately, the heron observed the scene and returned via a different entry point. That trap removed a claw and the heron left permanently. Had the heron returned via its 1st approach, the way was clear. Clearly a repeating snapper is needed.
I’ve been trying to find the time to engineer an omni directional motion sensor that triggers a CO2 charged “popper” when sensing motion within a few to several feet. Placing such a device, secreted in a fake rock, could provide an effective, attractive and repeating deterrent. If any readers get to this before me, please consider me willing to be a beta tester and I’ll buy several in order to participate. j. michael. camp at gmail.removethistext.com
Hi Michael…great post and great information.
There isn’t much more challenging that a wiley old heron. Some have had luck with decoys and some have not. Same with the scarecrow…it works great on some species and not as much on others that don’t find it all that annoying.
One friend wrote and noted they have good luck with a Great Dane!
But the popper might work. I’m not sure about how light might affect heron…there is a device to ward off geese from loitering around…but a motion activated popper or something like this is a good idea. I’ll keep my eyes open for something like this.
Mark
We have a 1/3rd acre pond with a frequent visitor (Heron). When we put our fountain back in service after the winter, he does not visit as often because the fountain creates ripples on the surface and they cannot see the fish.
I have had my share of problems with heron. Last year I tried something that appears to have worked. My pond is 20′ x 40′. I purchased a pair x10 driveway sensor and connected them to a radio. When the heron walk into the zone the radio comes on.
Of course I have it turned up pretty loud. I am experimenting with other devices like a CD player with different types of sound tracks.Give it a try. Joe
I had so much trouble with raccons at my lake home! I finally rigged a motion sensor that turned on a spot light and a radio. I kept the station on loud rock music. It did a good job. It suprized some human visitors a few times.
I have a smaller pond about 350 gal. i dont have problem with predators but i get a large verity of small birds such as crows robyns finch swallows ect. they like to bath around edges or shower in the waterfall.whene allot birds use the pond in one day i get an oily looking slim on the surface which disappears in 3 to 5 days ,sometimes longer. what is this and is it dangerouse for the fish?
I HAD TROUBLE WITH CATS,RACCONS, AROUND MY POND , AND THE ONLY WAY I SOLVED THE PROBLEM WAS TO INSTALL A LO VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FENCE AROUND IT. I HAVE NOT LOST A FISH OR TURTLE SINCE.
Hi Jumper…
Hard to say but my guess is, birds have just a bit of oil on the feathers…it’s what helps repel water a bit…maybe it’s from that. Or it could be a biofilm or something that forms. It shouldn’t cause any problems and if it goes away on it’s own then that’s good…you’re pond is dealing with the issue well.
Take care,
Mark
Leave A Reply