"adavisus" wrote in message
...

After a serious heron attack, its normal for fish to go hiding for
weeks, so you never know what has happened.... on a well planted pond
with a lot of cover, most fish survive though you will notice the
dramatic difference in their usual behaviour and wonder why.

In my ponds before nets, most fish did not survive despite the waterlilies
and all the other plants.

Here's a few notes collected from observations and other folks
experience

1) Predator nets.... cheaper than losing koi, downside, local animals
can get trapped in it, snared. Not very pleasant explaining to your
neighbor why their pedigree cat or dog lost its life or leg through
strangulation. Predator nets are probably the most cost effective
barrier method, a large mesh of around 4" should allow most varieties
of plants to grow through it without tangling the mesh. Smaller meshes
tend to be a mess with plants, strangled pets, and dead frogs by the
time Spring arrives...

People should keep their pets at home where they belong. People who care
about their pets don't allow them to run loose. If the net is properly
attached they shouldn't tangle in it - unless it's a large heavy dog.


2) Barrier method.... Suspend strong fish line taut, at a height of
12" over and around the pond, herons hate trip wires. An elegantly
simple way to baffle a dim fishbag on stilts, it often works, many folk
have reported seeing herons 'baffled' this way.... a near invisible line
that they can't see, bump into, cannot step over without tripping, is
enough to stop them.... I guess herons have yet to master the skill to
sneak along the ground without the use of their long leggedy stilts...

This doesn't work with the smaller herons at all. I saw GBs simply step
over fishing line as they step over branches of a downed tree. And fishline
is a danger to people who don't see it and are tripped. You're then looking
at a possible law suit or perhaps a broken wrist or ankle.

3) Hiding places... Step up cover within the pond... water lilies....
big bits of pipe, float large sheets of black polythene (trash bags
will do) trippy stuff for tangling up predators... hiding places for
fish. Surprisingly, many black plastic objects, when submersed become
virtually invisible, in a natural setting, so the idea of this clutter
in pond is not as bad as it sounds.

This didn't work for us.


I like this method, it creates a lot of hiding places and is virtually
invisible to the usually attractive pond setting, it makes it very
difficult for the likes of persistent herons and raccoons when they
raid.... useful in winter when foliage is bare and fish want somewhere
quiet, to hibernate. Bare crystal clear ponds must be an easy target
for predators, the garish and brightly coloured fish must just shout
loud and clear, 'sushi bar' to every itinerant fish eating scoundrel
passing within sight overhead.

Herons will find fish in a heavily planted pond as well as one without
plants.

4) Pond design... When you make a pond, make 45° sides, herons have
gangly legs, they like 'easy walking' conditions, they hate 'trippy'
pond surroundings... The one common weakness of predatory birds is the
vulnerability of their gangly long legs, they absolutely rely on an
easy landing place, and an easy stroll into the pond, handy shallow
terraces are a big help....

Some herons have short legs. Kingfishers don't bother to land at all.

5) Trapping... I can't be so fiendish, I cant advise you put out
snares... a simple loop of fish line can lock onto a predators leg.
Nasty way to die, that

Illegal in the USA.

Brevity snips
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
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