I was noticing that my gold fish population was slowly decreasing, yet I was not finding any carcasses. They one day I noticed a heron flying out of my back yard and I instantly got it. I have struggle with keeping my fish in my pond and the herons away. Please help me. They are beautiful birds, but a real pain.
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How deep is your pond ???
How deep is your pond ??? If your pond is shallow and has gental slopping sides, long legged birds can easily wade in and clean you out. One of the best defences agaist predators is not to give them someware to stand and deep enough water the fish can not be reached . Any pond under 4 feet deep is a prime target. Plenty of under water vegitation and caves to hide in helps to.
Dealing with Heron Predators from Brian from Morning Light Koi
It can be tough to keep herons out of your pond and away from your koi and pond fish. Once a heron gets a fish from the pond they will come back pretty much until all the koi are gone. I call them the "Terminators".
We deal with herons everyday of the year here at my farm.
The first step is to set up a strong defense. An outside dog will help keep the herons off the yard and away from the pond. Netting the pond can protect the fish in your pond from herons and make it difficult for them to eat your fish. A scarecrow water shooter can also work to fend off the aggressors. A scarecrow water shooter works for a while until the heron figures it out...even if you change the scarecrow...the herons know better. Don't waste your money on replica herons, they don't really work and it can actually encourage others to drop on by. Flashing lights also work, anything that can spook them will work. A mirror-image glass ball can work, but after time they can get accustom to this gimmick also.
One of the more frustrating parts of having a koi pond is predators. Anything from birds to small mammals can be quite keen on getting a quick meal from your pond. However there are many ways to deter these predators. Installing a decoy can help to create confusion for the would-be predator as can a Scarecrow system that shoots water when motion is detected. Some owners like to install leaf netting, tall plants, or a low electrical fence as well.
You can also create places for the fish to take cover. One method is to submerse a pipe in the pond to create a tunnel. (A pipe from the plumbing department in a local hardware store will do the job perfectly). The diameter of the pipe will be determined by the size of the fish in the pond. With some creativity and ingenuity you can implement some strategies that will protect your pond fish while not distracting from the overall appearance of your pond.
This submission was supplied by Koi expert Brian Drake of Morning Light Koi.com in Vancouver Washington.