Provide Cover for the fish:
• Put some Floating Island Planters or planted cork rafts in the pond. Both are excellent choices for Koi ponds where you cannot grow water lilies.
• Build an underwater cave or hidey hole for your fish. Cinderblocks* make great cover for small fish. Spray paint the cinderblocks black and they will seemingly “disappear” in your pond.
• Waterlilies provide excellent cover for gold fish and goldfish varieties such as Fantails, Orandas, and Shubunkins etc.
Scarecrow Techniques
• Hang dangly, mirrored artwork in your yard, they tend to distract and scare the birds
Pictured here a PVC “Dancing Birds” they are designed to move and bob in the slight breeze. These erratic movements can scare away predatory birds.
Bird Barriers
• If you have a Koi pond consider building an arbor or some type of cover for your fish pond. This does not always work. Often birds become emboldened and will fly or walk under the cover to feast on your fish.
• String monofilament (fishing line) in a criss-cross pattern over the pond. When the bird dives down to the pond it hits the monofilament which it can’t see and it scares them away. Herons wade into ponds from the sides so be sure create a barrier of fishing line 12” to 18” high around the pond.
• Lay Bird Netting over your pond. While unsightly it is effective and can usually be removed after 2-3 weeks of use.
Other Ideas
• Avoid feeding your fish at the edge of the pond. If you feed your fish at the same spot everyday they will quickly learn to swim over to that area every time there is movement. This makes them sitting ducks for crafty birds, which could potentially eat all of your fish before the fish figure out to avoid the area. Make a habit of throwing the food out towards the middle where the birds cannot land and grab the fish.
• Eliminate ledges in your pond.
• If all else fails, get an energetic dog!
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