HERONS/RACCOONS/SNAKES/FROGS
Herons are a class of birds known for their long beaks, long necks, and tall stature. They are great fishers and can be very hazardous to your koi pond. One killed all of my koi in about 3 hours. I am going to put netting around my entire pond, and dig my pond very deep so these or any other birds do not kill my fish again. Below I have posted suggestions from e-mail I have received. I hope they help prevent more koi deaths.
If you would like to help others please contact us about your stories about herons, picture of herons and your suggestions.
Stories & Suggestions
Name Story/Suggestion "Mike" I have heard that if a pond is already occupied by one heron"at work"
fishing, other heron flying past will not stop because the pond is
taken. I have a decoy heron made out of PVC pipe (sorry, no photos).
My pond is under a frequently used flight path of heron, and in the
three years that the decoy has been near the pond I haven't lost a
fish. I also have an electric fence to keep raccoons out. Hope this helps."Thomas" A blue heron had eaten half of my fish before I discovered what was going
on. I got rid of it by floating an inflatable snake in my pond. I did this approximately two months ago, and the heron hasn't been back. My fish were so terrorized by the heron that they would hardly come out of hiding to eat. Since I got the snake, everything is back to normal. You can find inflatable snakes (mine is 5-6' long) at any gardening supply store at a very low cost ($4-5).
Hope this tip helps someone!"Joe" I thread thin fishing line across my pond. Space it 4 inches apart from each line. Works great. RACCOONS/SNAKES
Raccoons, cats, snakes and other animals that travel by land can be prevented by installing an electric fence around the perimeter of your pond. These electric fences are available from pet stores and hardware stores. They are sold to keep dogs in a specific area.
These animals may also be scared away by a motion sensitive sprinkler system. There are commercially sold motion sensitive sprinklers especially made for ponds.
When building your pond make sure you have steep walls so land animals have trouble balancing while they are fishing for your koi.
FROGS
Most frogs do not pose a problem in a koi pond. Larger frogs, such as bullfrogs, can eat smaller koi. As soon as you see large tadpoles in your pond, relocate them as soon as possible.
