An area of water with a good all round view - herons need to be able to see danger coming Solution: Consider growing tall shrubs or emergent plants at the edges of open ponds, or building a bank to make it more enclosed. Gently sloping banks - herons like to walk into the water from the bank and fish while wading Solution: If building a pond from scratch consider making the sides vertical, but remember that these will need reinforcing or they will cave in.
Water levels close to the top of the bank will make fishing from the pond edges easy Solution: If you can control the water level, keep it at least 60 cm below the top of the bank. Calm and clear water makes the fish easier to see Solution: A spray of water as from a fountain will make seeing fish difficult, but is unlikely to protect the entire surface of the pond unless your pond is small and your fountain very vigorous!
Water free from vegetation leaves fewer places for fish to hide Solution: Vegetation provides natural cover for fish and helps to oxygenate the water. Fish at high densities Solution: Apart from increasing the size of your pond or decreasing the number of fish, there is little you can do about this. Understanding heron fishing Our illustrated guide. Share this page Facebook Facebook Created with Sketch. Twitter Pinterest.
You might also be interested in Grey heron deterrents for ponds Instead of keeping goldfish, why not convert a pond into a wildlife pond with native plants and animals. Wildlife in ponds A garden pond can be a home for a huge variety of wildlife. Dig for glory with a large pond There's something enchanting about sitting next to a pond, and it's amazing how quickly wildlife will find it. Cookie Preferences. Accepting all non-essential cookies helps us to personalise your experience.
Enough to send a Heron off, these are also effective on cats and while initially shocking to any animal, they are ultimately harmless and a humane way to deal with persistent pests. Heron stops use fine line like fishing line, tied to stakes around the pond.
Carefully placed, the invisible wire will block the flight path of incoming herons, prevent landing and hopefully prevent perching and subsequent stealing of fish. Typically placed around the perimeter of a pond, fishing line and Heron stops could also be used higher up to criss-cross the surface area of the pond, especially when used in conjunction with a pergola.
The next step up is an electric fence like the Velda Pond Protector. Supplying a small electric shock to whatever touches it, it will be effective on any animal which walks into it, ill-intentioned or otherwise.
Pond cover nets are the only way to really prevent a Heron from taking pond fish. The fine mesh will prevent the bird from sticking its head and neck through, while also preventing pond fish from being pulled back through it.
Personally I find netting quite offensive not just visually but practically as well. I once found a toad which had got completely entwined in a net and died simply because it was trying to get to the water.
It might be possible to cover the pond at night, this would be useful because herons like to fish at dawn, but again this would not be good for wildlife because some creatures are active at the pond overnight.
Make sure your fish have vegetation, such as water-lilies, to hide underneath but do not introduce non-native invasive species. Decoys can be used but herons are not likely to be scared of other herons; try statues of predators and keep moving them around, but even this is unlikely to be successful in the longer term. Garden ornaments which move or make sounds are more likely to be successful so try windmills, wind-chimes or even balloons.
Again keep moving them around because herons will get used to them. A pump and fountain to aerate the pond would be good as it causes ripples making it difficult for the heron to hunt. Similarly balls floating on the surface of the pond might move in the wind.
This attaches to a hose and can be spiked into the ground anywhere. When something moves close by it gets a soaking, unless it scarpers quickly. These devices are designed to deter cats but will work for herons as well though I doubt they would have much effect on otters! Reducing the likelihood of herons eating fish from a garden pond is most effective if taken into account when designing the pond.
Consider what makes a pond attractive to herons, and incorporate a range of features that would make it difficult for a heron to get to the fish. The least attractive pond and easiest to protect is the small, steep-sided ornamental variety with a good covering of lily pads harbouring half a dozen goldfish in a small urban garden.
The most attractive to herons and very difficult to protect is a large, unenclosed pond with gently sloping earth banks, leaping with fish, on a river floodplain near a heronry. Find out how to stop heron eating pond fish with this list of deterrent methods. Some of these methods require more planning than others. If you have a pond in your garden and are finding herons are a problem, we've listed a few ways to deter herons and keep your fish safe.
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