Koi Fish Information Centre

Hi,
I spent the morning putting up a double string fence around my two ponds. The heron was watching me with great interest from the top of a big tree as I worked! When I went inside it flew down and just stood there looking at the fence for about 15 minutes, then walked around trying to figure it out. At one point it stuck its head between the strings and may have taken a tiny little goldfish, if so it was very small. After about half an hour of prowling the perimeter it gave up and flew off without getting inside. We will see what tomorrow brings. It has been showing up at 4:30 first glimmer of light every morning and I’m getting sleep deprivation over the last two weeks from getting up then to chase it off! It’s been getting more and more persistent and brazen. They are certainly beautiful big impressive birds. I’d love to have them around if they just had a different diet.
Edgar
On Jun 5, 2008, at 8:27 AM, Alan wrote:
> Herons attacks are the most anooying problem for pond keepers, > there have been many devices over the years, but none really > successful. > > to my mind and experience, the most effective is a small fence 16″ > high all round your pond, and only a few inched from the edge. > > they cant step over it, and theres no room for them to land from > flight past it, I have had one round my pond for years, and can say > it works with out a doubt, during the rebuild of my pond i took the > fence down, even tho the new pond was raised as soon as the fence > came down in came the herons again, i lost a few fish in the week i > had no fence, since it been back up not one heron has botherd to > try and fish, and i have seen several eyeing it up! they emptied a > nieghbours pond instead because it was open. > > my new pond although raised still has that little fence, and i have > painted it green, and it in now way spoils the effect of the pond, > it has infact helped in other ways, I had high PH problem at the > begging of the season, and the fish began to jump and flick, the > fence actually prevented one from jumping out of the pond, i saw > it, thats why i did the water check! > > simple two bar fence, 16″ tall middle bar at 8″ supported every 3′ > by and upright post, and no more than 5-6″ from the edge of the > pond…..it does work, although i appreciate its not always easy or > convienient to errect one., but well worth the effort and cost if > you can, they can be made to look good as well as serve as a > protection. > Brenda Rose wrote: > Hello again Edgar. > > The most disappointing heron loss we incurred was our very pregnant > female, a koi of unusual size and colour, and what the heron did > was to > spear her, fly off with her in his beak and then drop her in the field > where we found her the next morning. I swear, protected species or no, > if I had witnessed this atrocity I think I would have throttled the > avian predator with my bare hands! Clearly its eyes were bigger than > its gullet. > > This heron knows you’ve got some good fixings in your pond so it will > take a slightly more aggressive approach to chase it off on a more > permanent basis. Someone here suggested a dog and do you know what? > I’d ask around among your friends to see if you could borrow someone’s > lab or shepherd for a week or two. Something sizeable. Because, well, > floating rubber lids just aren’t all that aesthetically pleasing. (hee > hee) > > Brenda > > On 4-Jun-08, at 6:22 AM, Edgar Owen wrote: > > > Hi Brenda, > > > > That sounds like it might just work if at the correct height to keep > > it from going under or over which I guess would be about 2.5 feet. > > This guy is particularly sneaky and obnoxious and croaks at me > > angrily when I disturb him. I actually wouldn’t mind it taking some > > of the goldfish which had about 100 babies last year which are now > > growing up. I’ve been putting some in the local lake to reduce the > > overpopulation. But I’ve head that herons sometimes kill larger fish > > they can’t eat. (My koi are all too large for them to swallow), CAn > > anyone confirm that? Also concerned about them possibly puncturing > > the pond liner, though not sure that would actually happen. > > > > Thanks for the tip, I may have to try it. He was just there again as > > I write this. > > > > I currently have about a dozen large plastic tub lids floating in > the > > pond and that makes it more difficult for him and easier for fish to > > hide but he still comes back every day. > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > On Jun 3, 2008, at 5:03 PM, Brenda Rose wrote: > > > >> Hi Edgar. We lost several koi to our local heron population a few > >> years ago and I tried a few anti-heron devices before I developed a > >> system that works (touch wood) for me. First off, I purchased some > >> nylon fishing line, something that would hold up under a weighty > fish > >> (or bird). I then created a perimeter fence approximately 2 - 3 > feet > >> off the ground using attractive long metal garden stakes pounded > into > >> the area around the pond, and I wound the fishing line tightly > enough > >> around each stake so that it would trip up anything attempting > to walk > >> toward the water. Then I pounded some ordinary plastic tent pegs in > >> flush to the ground and created an additional over-the-pond zigzag > >> pattern which would trip up anything attempting to land in the > pond. > >> > >> I have watched herons attempt to get through this unobtrusive > design > >> and they are either very stupid herons or I just happened to have > >> created the perfect heron deterrent imaginable. You see, they > approach > >> the pond after having landed on the lawn and walk into the > perimeter > >> fence, but they never think to step OVER it. The line, you see, is > >> about 2 - 3 feet off the ground. They feel the tautness against > their > >> wiry legs, back off and try another approach, and the same thing > >> happens. I’ve watched the same heron walk into the fishing line, > >> ruminate for a spell and then re-approach the pond six to eight > times > >> before flying off, presumably still hungry. > >> > >> Do I expect my luck to hold? It’s hard to say, but this is year > three > >> (although it’s early days yet) with no heron losses, whereas my > >> neighbours, who have fancy goldfish, see herons almost every week. > >> I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this system will continue to work > >> for > >> me. Oh, by the way, the first year we had heron losses we got a > very > >> realistic-looking heron decoy. That was the same year I started > >> experimenting with my fishing line fence. One summer afternoon > when I > >> was sitting quietly by the pond a heron landed on the lawn and > >> proceeded to advance toward the water. I sat very still and > watched as > >> he (she?) moved in once, twice, three times, and each time couldn’t > >> get > >> past the fence. After the fourth unsuccessful approach it turned > >> around, swatted the plastic decoy heron several times with its > wings > >> and then flew off. I think that was a heron hissy fit. > >> > >> Sincerely, > >> Brenda > >> > >> On 3-Jun-08, at 6:32 AM, Edgar Owen wrote: > >> > >>> I’m having a heron problem and wonder if anyone has any tips. He > >>> flies off when I go outside but eventually always comes back. I > want > >>> to put a good scare into him without harming him and wonder if > >> anyone > >>> has any suggestions on how to do that? Last year I”d run > outside and > >>> throw a couple of light white plastic fish food containers at > him as > >>> he flew off and that worked after about a week as he didn’t come > >>> back, but this one is more alert and is gone before I get close > >>> enough to throw anything. > >>> > >>> Thanks, > >>> Edgar > >>> > >>> ———————————— > >>> > >>> Yahoo! Groups Links > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > ———————————— > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > ——————————— > Sent from Yahoo! Mail. > A Smarter Email. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >

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Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society