Help! A bit of lateral thinking needed . . .

[Roger Mills]

I'm trying to find an aesthetically acceptable (to SWMBO) way of protecting the fish in my pond from herons. The pond is surrounded by paving, so whatever we use will need to be fixed to a hard surface.

One possibility is to construct a reasonably decorative fence using something like this:

We would need more than 20 of them to go right round the pond. The spikes are meant to stick into the ground - which we can't do with a paved surface - and the extra height would be useful as well - as long as the herons can't get underneath.

In order to mount these panels, I figure that I need some suitable sockets - each consisting of a flange which can screwed to the paving, with a vertical tube to hold one of the spikes and possibly with a thumb-screw to clamp the spike into the tube. Something like a parasol stand but *very* much smaller. Since the panels hook together, I figure that I could could cut one spike off all except the end panel - so the number of sockets required would be the same as the number of panels +1.

A possibility for the sockets would be to use metal conduit fittings - using flanges like this

|alt each with a short length of conduit screwed in. But even that may be too big because I think the spikes are only about 8mm in diameter, and I would need a means of cutting a thread on each of the pieces of conduit

- which I don't have, and even to hire would be pretty expensive.

So, does anyone have any bright ideas? Preferably something off the shelf which will do the job straight off without breaking the bank, or something reasonably easy to DIY.

Many thanks.

[Adrian]

dp/6040137487

Can you post a pic of the pond? Because I'm struggling to see how that would stop herons getting at the pond - even if it was a full 360deg around the pond, which the "end panel, +1" doesn't sound like it is.

[Ash Burton]

A fence will not stop a heron getting your fish, i had a 3 foot high brick wall around ours and it still ate the lot.

The only sure way is to 'net over' the top of the pond.

Ash

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[Chris Hogg]

I have heard that if you get a plastic ornamental reasonably life-size and realistic-looking heron that you can stand on the edge of or in the pond, it deters real herons. Don't have any personal experience, though, but much more attractive than some sort of barbed-wire entanglement, if it works.

Failing that, there are other suggestions here:

[Syd Rumpo]

Plastic fish.

Well, you wanted lateral.

Cheers

[Ash Burton]

A decoy plastic heron doesn't work either (i tried it and in fact it seemed to attract 'real' ones to the feast)

Ash

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[charles]

we tried that. The real heron used to try and strike up a conversation with the plastic one. No deterent at all.

[Roger Mills]

Here's the pond:

There is a water feature (fibreglass gunnera leaf) at one end, which the smaller birds use as a bird bath. The fence would go all the way round except for where the leaf is. We would put some wires across between the two end panels - stopping herons getting in from the leaf, but leaving it available for small birds.

There is normally a net right over the pond, supported on some wooden stands and cross pieces, but it rather spoils the look of the thing, which is why we want something a bit prettier.

[Chris J Dixon]

So, your plan is to stop the herons walking in?

Chris

[Ash Burton]

i tried most 'deterrents' but none were as effective as a net.

There is a 'bird scarer' optical sensor device which farmers use to scare birds off fields but it creates a loud bang which would not be great for a suburban or city environment.

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[Roger Mills]

Cheaper to feed, too! Don't think SWMBO would accept it, though!

[Tim+]

When we netted our pond I drilled through the pointing with a small masonry drill (6mm ish) and used some plant net support rods stuck in the holes. I put a "mushroom" cap on the rods to prevent injuries. If you don't want a net I think it would be worth trying fishing line stretched over all potential perching positions around the edge. I don't think that they will take fish from the middle of the pond "on the wing", you just need to discourage perching.

Tim

[Roger Mills]

Yes. My understanding is that they normally land on dry land, and walk into the pond.

[News]

In message , Chris Hogg writes

I quite like Jack's Top Tips :

1. No Fish
2. Netting

More seriously, I used to have a pond, and netting was the only thing that worked. What a pity, though, as your pond is extremely attractive, and any heron deterrent is not going to help, visually.

[Nightjar]

On 04/06/2015 10:18, Roger Mills wrote: ..

Rigid plastic mesh just below the surface of the water? You would probably need to put it on ledges or pegs, so that you could lift it out (in sections if need be) for access.

[Davey]

My neighbour reports success with a floating ball with what look like large eyes on its surface. It came from their aquarium supply place.

Not exactly this one, but the same principle:

[Syd Rumpo]

Or perhaps float it just below using periodic corks.

Cheers

[Bill]

In message , charles writes

Son inherited a pottery one with the house and pond. Our heron pushed it over and broke its neck. Twice.

Our heron used to sit for hours on an adjacent roof, wait till everyone went out or in, then came down and over weeks chewed away at the double layer netting and then ate all the fish. I have to say that it's a very elegant looking bird.

Repairing the netting was difficult as it's a polo shaped pond with a fountain in the middle. The liner has leaked, the fountain now leans and the crazy paving surround has had the sandy soil washed away beneath it in places.

He is employing a local groundworks company to rebuild the whole thing. He and I initially tried getting estimates from local landscape gardener companies, but they have all walked away. One even charged before he would visit, took one look and has never been heard of since.

I'm watching this thread with interest.

[Chris Hogg]

Very nice. Are the tall green leafy things white arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica), aka funeral lilies in our household?

[Dave Liquorice]

Might work one inch mesh? Trouble is I can see Heron standing on it and trying to fish through the holes. Even if Heron isn't successful the fish could get injured.

My thought on seeing the picture was of a net/mesh of black line (0.5 mm or maybe 1 mm) through eyes screwed into plugged holes in the edges of the edging slabs.

As others have also said I think Herons generally land nearby and then walk to/into the water hunting. Have you watched to see what your Herons do? Making what ever they do harder might be enough to discourage them, but TBH those fish look big and tasty...