You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
General Koi Carp ChatKoi News and discussion
» Stats
Members: 25,312
Threads: 3,299
Posts: 31,083
Top Poster: markf1fan (3,497)
This question comes up quite regularly.
The "usual suspects" are herons.
Now many people say they've never seen a heron in their garden, they are unlikely to see one unless they're up at 5.00am this time of year or at first light at any other time.
Herons are wading birds, they won't land on your pond, they like to step in to water shallow enough to avoid their bum getting wet. So they need a firm area from which to step into shallow water.
But with their long necks they can reach quite a way down and they've the patience of Job and will remain completely motionless by the side of a pool for several minutes waiting for an opportunity.
If you've already lost fish to a heron, it'll be back for more.
I've recently got back into koi after a disaster, but I won't go there.
I've about a dozen koi I bought earlier in the year which have now doubled in size to about eight or nine inches, so I've been using a net again, despite the fact there are few places around my pool where a heron could reach in, because of overhanging shrubs and high perimeter rocks. I'll carry on with the net until next year when they should be too big for a heron (I've never lost a fish to a heron in over 25 years, though we do see them occasionally, one landed on the patio a few weeks back but immediately took off, they could possibly fish for frogs in our small "lily and frog pond").
I've used a wide mesh black net supported on wires, I guess I could have used black wire instead of green to make it less noticeable. But I don't think it looks too bad. I can't really see it from the French windows or from the bottom of the garden.
Where my imitation bridge covers the filter return I've put some pegs made of bits of speedfit pipe on screws to secure the net, but still make it easy to lift off, because as soon as you put a net over a pool you need to get under it from somewhere to fish out the odd leaf etc.,.
I'll change this net later in the year to a finer one as I don't want thousands of wisteria leaves falling into it.
The only other solution is to put wires on stakes round your pool. That doesn't always work unless there are are several of them that are closely strung.
__________________ "I don't mind if you don't like my manners!
I don't like them myself, they're pretty bad,
I grieve over them on long winter evenings."
We have a decent population of herons locally, they cleaned the wildlife pond out a few years back; since then electric fence installed and seems to have done the job - and we do encourage foxes..
DHR - if there are herons about the size of the Koi doesn't matter, they will stab a 60cm fish even though they have no chance of pulling it out.
Think that Wisteria and Koi may not be ideal for the Koi.
We have a decent population of herons locally, they cleaned the wildlife pond out a few years back; since then electric fence installed and seems to have done the job - and we do encourage foxes..
DHR - if there are herons about the size of the Koi doesn't matter, they will stab a 60cm fish even though they have no chance of pulling it out.
Think that Wisteria and Koi may not be ideal for the Koi.
Dave
Yes, wisteria leaves are supposed to be poisonous, but our daughter's rabbits used to like the odd sprig of young leaves.
I give it a heavy prune towards the end of the summer and the net I change for this one keeps any leaves from falling in the pool.
There's no way I'd want to remove the wisteria, it must be fifty years old and it and the pergola are all part of our garden "experience" of which the koi are just another element. We've four other wisterias away from the pool.
I agree a heron will attempt to stab a large fish it can't grab, but I've always made it difficult for any to stand on the side of the pool, they are rather ungainly birds and with their long legs they need to have a steady footing.
__________________ "I don't mind if you don't like my manners!
I don't like them myself, they're pretty bad,
I grieve over them on long winter evenings."
Always wanted to have a wisteria near the pond but I wouldn't want to risk it; but life's a balance of risks and compromises.
Think the issue may be rather different between fish and mammals regarding toxidity, something to do with reactions in the gut and cyanide poisoning if my failing memory serves..
The seed pods of wisterias are definitely toxic, even to humans and they can possibly be confused with those of runner beans as they are very similar, so supposedly are the leaves and flowers toxic. But I've never seen fish attempt to eat either on the occasion a leaf or some blossom has fallen in the pool.
There's probably a long list of decorative plants that might be harmful to fish, but I'm sure there are plenty of other things more deadly.
We all know that with a ground-level pool, anything that falls off a tree or shrub in the garden "will end up in the pool."
I just make sure I clear anything that falls into the pool as soon as I see it.
__________________ "I don't mind if you don't like my manners!
I don't like them myself, they're pretty bad,
I grieve over them on long winter evenings."
i myself have a net over mine but thats to keep seagulls out not herons
i did read somewhere that some people have sucess with running some fishing line around the pond like a string fence as herons wont step over things into water dont know if it will waork though as i have not tried it maybe some on here might of
I'm planning my pond at the minute, and am pretty worried about herons as I live close to the Thames and there are loads of them about. I really don't want a net over the pond so can anyone help with designing it to be heron-proof?
The pond will be raised, but only about 21 inches above my patio decking. There will be no shallow areas (not less than 2.5 ft) so I'm this should mean herons can't stand in the pond - right?
I'm worried about them standing on the wall though and fishing from there. Does anyone know how far below the water should be than the wall height to stop them fishing there?
My plan was to have 1 brick then a coping stone above the water - approximately 6 inches. Can, or will a heron reach down to fish 6 inches lower than the wall it's stood on?
It's just an estimate, but I think an adult heron might be able to reach down the best part of two feet, they can articulate at the hips... long body, neck and beak.
In my opinion, I don't think you could have a configuration where the water level would be low enough to facilitate flat coping stones which would make your pool "heron proof" and make it aesthetically acceptable.
The only solution is a net or a wire perimeter, someone has already said they have had success with an electric fence, or make it impossible for a heron to gain a secure stance on the side of your pool.
I have heard of "plastic lily pads" which can be floated and secured round the perimeter of a pool. (no, I wouldn't want them either!)
__________________ "I don't mind if you don't like my manners!
I don't like them myself, they're pretty bad,
I grieve over them on long winter evenings."
Last edited by Doghouse Riley : 02-08-2011 at 12:51 PM.
Hi sul, we had to use a net because of herons, i agree i wish we could take it off, my uncle has a koi pond aswell and he uses a type of metal grid. It looks a lot better because the holes are quite large and looks a lot neater. And he has had no more problems with herons or other pests . i spose it depends on the size of your pond though, i don,t know how much he paid for it ,but i suspect it,s more expensive then pond netting. I hope this might help.
Best wishes
paul
Alternatives to Pond Netting? 
we had to use a net because of herons, i agree i wish we could take it off, my uncle has a koi pond aswell and he uses a type of metal grid. It looks a lot better because the holes are quite large and looks a lot neater. And he has had no more problems with herons or other pests
. i spose it depends on the size of your pond though, i don,t know how much he paid for it ,but i suspect it,s more expensive then pond netting. I hope this might help.
Linear Mode
