How do I keep birds from eating the fish in my pond?

They sit on the edge of my pond and pick off the goldfish. It's driving me crazy!

Like a fake owl or something

Then they ignore it.

A guy at the local garden center told me the biggest problem people have with koi ponds is herons. Those are some damn big birds.

Either that or replace them with piranha.

And place structure inside the pond. An old milk crate or something more aesthetically pleasing.

I want a pond. But I have little ones at home so it will be a few years.

So digging is not an option.

ice tea on the keyboard! :thumbsup:

like get a long thin slab that will stick out over part of the water, then the fish will hang out there.

Just this weekend we got our first two fancy goldfish for the pond we built last year. Ours is kinda deep and they seem to be staying at the bottom a lot, we can never find them, but they're supposed to get a lot bigger I think, like ten inches, so we'll see them easier then.
We named them Jules and Micheal Jackson :) I hope they won't die.

Hope most of yours make it too.

The birds stand on the edge and pick them off!

They could be after the fish food.

If they're starlings and in their omnivore mode, they'll eat insects and grubs, not anything larger.

And he had something in his mouth that looked uncannily like a goldfish.

Sounds like the net or screen would be the best solution.

Seems like a shame to have a pond and have to cover it up with a net. But I'm also sick of restocking the pond every other week.

So maybe you'll only have to use the net for a little while.

Good luck

Wine barrels—I used barrel hoops and covered with aviary wire (smaller holes than chicken wire). I anchor it with eyebolts and wire.
3 x 5 foot plastic pond—I built a frame and covered with aviary wire, I C-clap it to the edges.
I sometimes put mousetraps on top.

I also create tunnels or caves for the fish to hide with rocks, concrete blocks or sewer pipe.

My precautions are for raccoons, but The Scarecrow (motion activated sprinkler) generally works on birds.

When I'm outside on the deck enjoying the fish and ponds, I remove the screens. A pain in the ass, but it works.

The raccoons have been getting into it and eating the water lilies and generally making a mess. I doubt fish would last long.

:hide:

But these birds would have no idea what they were.

too bad they are more than $50, I'd drop a 10 or maybe 15 for that! Just for fun:rofl:

If they were cheaper I'd get one for my little Minnesota backyard pond.

:rofl:

either screen it (fence), or provide hiding places

I use 88s in our water troughs for the goldfish, 3 or 4 in a row makes two nice long tunnels - even when they get big they can hide in there. Even saved a few when the crane showed up for a few days last year and got most of them.

goldfish are what 10, 15 cents each as feeders? keep buying for a few weeks and eventually natural selection will balance things out - the survivors will be smart enough to hide.

I don't feed our fish, plenty of bugs and algae (and dead "schoolmates") for them around here.

Sure, you won't have any goldfish soon either but those birds will get what they have coming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5D3GKlTkpY

You can occasionally find them at OSH or on amazon.
Raccoons will get used to it, as I have found (the raccoons love water).

What stopped them is the screen I made over the pond. Green plastic coated square fencing (sorta like chicken wire), cut to the shape of the pond.
I bought some small diameter flexible aluminum tubing to go around the perimeter (shaped it to the pond) then attached the fencing to it.
Put a couple of stakes in the ground to tie it to.
As long as the pond isn't too big this works well.
It's easy to lift off if you want to enjoy the pond while you are there (or friends) and easy to put back down.
For birds only I wouldn't even tie it down.
Fish are still easy to feed.

Does it work for Jehovah's Witnesses? Perfect solution!

always turn it off before you go to garden around your pond.
You learn to remember after the first few times of being hit in the face or chest.
It is funny when it gets someone else though.

Reflective tape confuses the bravest of birds. Even a slight breeze will cause a fluttering sound as well as mirror-bright reflections. Scare Tape is most effective on flocking birds attacking young seedlings, fresh germinating seeds or ripening fruit (do not put the tape up before fruit begins to ripen). Streamers can be attached to tree limbs, trellises or sprinkler risers. Use 2' long streamers in orchards and 8"-10 streamers in vegetable rows or grapes, at a minimum rate of one per 10"-20 within the problem area. Generally, scaretapes are more effective on flocking birds than on robins and other birds that stay close to the ground.

http://www.groworganic.com/bird-scare-tape-silver-mylar-500-roll.html