Garden Pond Heron Protection
Why are Herons a problem
This is the time of year when Herons can be the biggest pests to pond owners. They are rearing young and as such their need for food increases and they are tempted in to our gardens for easy pickings. The early sunrise in Spring and Summer means they can visit our ponds before many of us are awake, in fact one of the most frequent comments we here is “ I opened the curtains and I just saw him (the Heron) flying away”
Herons are mostly solitary birds of prey who enjoy peace and quite whilst fishing, so they prefer to visit ponds in the early hours when they will not be disturbed. As a rule they will land away from the pond, often on an open area of lawn, and slowly walk in to the pond to avoid disturbing the fish. To be effective they really need to wade in to the water because once in the pond they release a chemical which actually attracts the fish to them. If they are prevented form doing this, they are much less likely to be successful. It is rare that you will find any obvious evidence of the heron after a visit. However, the chemical they release is slightly oily and in the right light you can sometime make out the rainbow colour of the oil on the surface of the water.
So How can you protect you pond
So how do you stop them? Unfortunatly the only certain way is to net the pond preventing them from getting in to the water and removing fish from the pond. Obviously this can be unsightly and detracts from the appearance of the pond, to minimise this you could build a frame or structure, which would enable the net to be removed when you are in the garden.
However, there are other options.
We offer a Decoy Heron, which because they are mostly solitary birds will hopefully persuade a Heron flying above, to keep going and pick on some one else’s pond.
Click Here to go to our Blue Decoy Heron Page
As mentioned Herons want to land away from the pond and walk in to the water, putting a physical barrier in the way may deter them. If you know where it lands you can put clear nylon threads up to disrupt the flight path. This method is entirely dependent on the layout of your garden allowing overhead wires and may have an impact on other birds, but does mean the Heron can be deterred with out impact on the appearance of the pond.
We offer a Heron Stop which consists of 8 stakes that can be positioned around the pond through which you thread clear nylon wire to create an invisible barrier.
Click Here to go to our Heron Stop Page
If you’re not convinced the trip wire would be enough by itself, then step up to the Pond Protector which is an electrified version carrying a mild charge through the wire so that the Heron is put off trying to figure out a way around the barrier. This product is our industries version of a livestock fence and should not harm the Heron, but will certainly put it off.
Click Here to go to our Pond Protector Page
Other options might include custom made decorative metal covers or screens. We must point out that Herons are a protected species and as such can not be harmed or killed.