Herons in my koi pond

by Lisa
(Roanoke Rapids, NC)

Hi everyone,

I've had problems with herons coming in to feed in my koi pond for the last three years. I hand-dug my pond about ten years ago. It's 12'x24' and about 3-1/2' deep. It does have a ledge, 1' deep, around the pond for marginal plants.

Back to my pond. I tried putting a pond net over it to keep out the herons. Didn't work - they ripped through it to get to the fish. They also stood on the floating plant containters and the koi tunnels to get to my fish. They'd poke through the net and injure the fish without eating them. I lost tons of goldfish, lots of 6" baby koi and 4 18"-22" koi. (I now use a thick inground pool net for the fall leaves)

I tried the decoys (heron, owls, alligators) I've also tried pie tins, dogs, loud noises, motion sensor scarecrows. None of them worked.

What did work was stringing up a fence around the pond. I got the green metal garden fence posts (3' tall) and strung up XXX spider braided fishing line around the pond. I doubled it for strength. Then I put the line, zig-zagged, on the top of the fence.

I did this because they fly into the pond too!

They even walked down the waterfall to see if they could get in that way. Be sure to fence in that area too. Fishing line is almost invisible so it doesn't look bad or ruin the effects of your garden.

Just wanted to share a successful story without harming federal protected birds.

LiLyn

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Herons in my koi pond

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The ultimate heron deterents for small ponds
by: Adam Richardson (UK)

Hi everyone.
I have x 2 f stocked fishponds in my open garden.
We have a family of herons living nearby in the woods. One pond is 8 foot x 2 foot and 18 inches deep at lowest point.

The other is very deep and has a circumfrence of 6feet. Surroundede by bamboo (living and some slate edging.
The heron visited this morning! (7.15am) Huge and beautiful. But he didnt get anything.
I bought a one inch think board of marine ply measuring 8 foot x 2 foot. I fixed x 2 grip handles to it and place it over the entire pool, it takes about 20 seconds, Ok I do this every evening, but it completely covers the water area and keeps the fish 100% safe from anything. Unless the heron is a weightlifter and has the skills of a woodpecker, it wont get my fish.
next the 'round, formal type pool' It does have a fairly solid build of bamboo (living) around x threequaters of the area, which is a deterent, so..I bought a second hand washing wirlygig line
and dug a hole on the unprotected side of the pool and inserted a metal pipe. Then I opened the umberella of the washing line and inserted it.
The whole thing takes 30 seconds to fit, it covers the whole of the pool, you can vary its hright by using casement ovel clips and if you want add some extra nylon 'strings' to the existing nylon ones. Again you have to put it out every night, but your fish will be thewre in the morning. Both 'deterents' are fully waterproof, inexpensive and very quick to set up.
Remember, in most cases these only have to be used from dusk till dawn. These are the most simple and most effective anti heron devices for small ponds - good luck.
Best wishes Adam

PVC Still Working
by: 1alh1

We've had great luck with the PVC pipe we put in our pond after last year's blue heron attack. Either the heron decided that the fishing was better elsewhere or our young fish (that have since grown and multiplied) learned to hide inside the pipe. In any event, the fish are coming up to feed again, and we've experienced no losses this year.

FRY EM!
by: ROBERT

Have you thought about electric fence from your farm yard store?

to wkeithscott
by: LiLyn

I have to be careful of what I do and the noise levels because I live in the middle of a city. My dogs are 5 and 12 pound toy poodles. Not real watch dogs, but then again, when the cranes are 4 1/2 feet tall - their beaks are very long. Not many dogs will go up against them. Maybe the very large pvc pipes and paint them black. The "Y" shape or "X" may do.
Thanks for the suggestions.
LiLyn

Nusiance Cranes et al
by: wkeithscott

HI LiLyn: Gee, sounds like 'U' tried it all.
Maybey, more of some, ie: the best soulation [tried] to date. The sound..don't turn up the Beetles Tooo Much cescendo. The PVC pipe, I'd try...larger ones, like 1 ft.++ in diameter, and 4-5 of them, 2-3 long, even 'Y' shape ones, built for escape, ease of entry, safety, id'd as an fish kennel home.
What kind of dog's, did you use. They can't be much of an 'threat', if dog's can be trained for 'as in sniffing anything out', or retrieving, surely with an little effort, their excitement, could be channeled, to scaring away, an dumb crane. An dog breed that will go to water lab, several types, but an excitable breed, or hyper personality type.
Another consideration, you 'know of electronic-emitting', sound barriers for dogs, that irritate animals-somewhat, & so they won't cross/trespass, the/that designated barrier...wander away etc. Surely, there is something that airports-mgmnt. utilize, to 'help' deter nuisance bird flocks, from their land's, on demand. Besides, there usage of falconry, shotgunning, I'm thinking of the/an nasty sound emitting contraption, merely on your demand scaring them away. If so, you would have to rise early, for they are 'alway's on guard', before I do swamping.
But, you can imagine, an aerial view, of an colorful, abundant fish pond, would entice any Crane for miles, to such an perceived feast, his fishing pond.
Anyway, an noisy, excitable, swimming best dog's, [2] might be an good deterent, along with the appropriate noise machine. An installed/erected speaker, of something that is related, [higher on the food chain]. At least you don't have snapping turtles to deal with, as an friend of mine confided.
But, it's been fun chatting...I think the better imagination, experience of other's, will 'fly along' with more practical solutions.
But, that was an serious dig, and is the 'mother of all ponds', there has to be an solution....but nyet, nyet on netting.

PVC Pipe in Ohio Pond
by: 1alh1

Regarding the use of the PVC pipe in our pond: Yes, the PVC pipe is rather obvious and not very attractive when there is no plant coverage. But when the waterlilies are up and growing, it isn't even noticeable. We'll know more this spring and summer as to its effectiveness in reducing fish kill. By the time we installed it last summer, most of our larger fish were gone and the few smaller ones that remained were difficult to spot.

Koy Toy-ota, Koy in Tyme save 9.
by: wkeithscott

HI Lilyn: I realize it's an big challenge. But, its difficult to get any perspective, when only the pond is pic-visual. ne need lateral visions, to reduce the collateral collision.
You can build these things, buy 'wooden folk art', with ie: moving parts. It's popular with hobbyst'sin eastern, Nova Scotia, Canada. Anything that is propelled, by the 'wind turbulence', ie: staked wooden Canada Geese, with propelling wing's, I have one for years, but there fragile, and I broke an wing off, setting away for winter storage. So, 2-3 of those place indiscriminately the area, & waterfall, would discourage even an hung mother Crane.
I think, you have too many Koy in the pond, there should be room for an mix of reproducing goldfish, for at least the small-size fish, & fry could entertain, any more successful Cranes. But, really it's essential, at any cost to protect these gracious and super Koy collection.
In my frequent-natural-swamp exploring, do find, Bird-Crane's, are very privacy oriented, and do not like distractions, ie: noise, movement. For they themselves, are 'slow flyer's', and alway's take-off when modestly disturbed easily threatened.
So think like an Crane, not an fish. Decoys, about ie: Fox/Racoons/Coyote, lg. Canada Geese-moving mechanize, any of them, anywhere for experimental use. Def... that will scare the hell out of an 'private bird', as described. If it's incongruous, to install the cental sort of platform, which might be better in an larger pond, different usage. You might try to float something more modest, g-wire it, out there mid-stream, much less-obtuse set-up, at minimum cost/inconvenience.
Then, install any moving/flailing about, [noisy] item of choice...surely that would retard, Cranes thereabouts. If your totally unsuccesfull, keep in mind, install an completely separate, lateral, smaller plastic pond for the 'simple fun for bird's day', loaded with 2 dozen, orange, attractive feeder fish, [lowly gold-fish] for the sole purpose, like acquatic shop's, doth provide. Consequently, the big Bird, will gracefully descent, to devour the easiest, smallest meal. They are 20 cents a piece, an lot less than koy, one dead/injured, then disease koy...could represent...an thousand other fish fry, no matter where they mix, or coy-ly, swim about.
So, if you can't beat em, join them, in some fashion. I keep my goldfish, inside wintering, and if I loose even one, it put's me in an desulatory mood...all day long.
I understand your concern's, but don't be so conservative, attack the problem...we encourage you, in such an great hobby.
If YOU, didn't do it, where would 'everything live', so YOU are 'already', great in my eyes.
But in the word's of famous Bishop Tutu, an interview I heard say....another subject...."Just Do It".
And good luck!

response to wkeithscott
by: LiLyn

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'll have to think about putting the windmill in the middle of my pond. I can't see it "adding" to the decor.

Oh, the XXX spider fishing line - not good. Over the summer, it heats up and the line goes slack. You have to keep on knotting it to tighten it up. Also, when it breaks - it gets caught in the pumps - not a good thing when your pumps are around $350. a piece. And, the cranes came back, broke through and were standing on the marginals again. I'll have to rethink this again.

I might try an extremely large pergola to block the view from above or a PVC hoop "greenhouse" frame with netting over it - large enough to go inside and relax and enjoy.

Any thoughts?
LiLyn

'kudos', FOR Fishing CRANES
by: wkeithscott

That's my favourite, [err my spouse's] favourite..'decoy'. But, we had similar, urban raaccoon's everywhere, and lost similarly many 'goldfish'. Frustrated, I put an ugly iron mesh over one frontal pond, for the fish, became prime pet's, which I tried to protect for their normal lifespan.
But for your, incredible pond, and marvelous koy-fish selection, it seems to me, the pond is deep/large enough, for an experiment such as:
Consider, in the middle, dropping down, and pre-fab...wooden, base structure, [sink with very clean'd flushed stone/gravel' to new center-pond terra firma. Pre-build, and insert/install planting's area around the periphery atop this structure, with marginal 'overhang', 3 ft. in circumference. IE: for max-protection of the slow moving Koy. But the platform high enough, so the bird's, can simply reach down, and actually touch the fish.
If that not enough deterrent, & by the sound's of [IT], you need this as well: It's not ' ennatural, but YOU have to improvise, experiment, and be creative...for these 'bird's' have your 'place marked for comfort, just like an swamp'. An easy meal.
My suggestion, erect/install mid-center, atop that artificial pond addition, maybe an 'nice' wooden, natural cedar wood, artifice'. Yes, an moving 'windmill', whose, rath which 'fairly constant' circular MOVEMENT would interfere, with any large BIRD's astride, the 'darn thing'. God forbid, but it'd be like in effect, an moving, 'scarecrow', afield some other local expanse, down there.
This may sound silly, but it's the best idea, I can come up with, if it could be custom made, by an good carpenter friend, with your suggestions, and installed , it might not mess up the whole pond effect. If it worked effectively, other so-called meshbarriers, could be removed...I wouldn't care for those at all.
So, back to the drawing board, is an good place to start.
Slong and good luck.

Herons in my Koi pond
by: LeeLyn

Hello Ohio,
Can't you see the PVC pipe in your pond? I'd think that it would be unattractive.

Herons in Our Pond
by: Ohio

We lost more than 3/4 of our fish to a blue heron, too. They once clustered at the water's edge while we hand fed them. Now the ones that are left only come out in the evening to feed briefly before hiding beneath the thick lilies. We found that a 2-ft. long PVC pipe, about 6" in diameter provides a protected hiding place in the deepest part of the pond among the lilies.

Herons and racoons
by: Anonymous

We had the same problem. Have lost 3 fish. What stopped it for us was we took a big flower pot and cut it in two. Then put it on the bottom of the pond. They can hide there. And it looks nice too.

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