Deter big birds?

A few years ago, I dug us a koi pond. Early this spring, a couple of birds started showing up. At first, we were like "awwww cute birds". But then we quickly realized that they were eating our kois. I've been shuing them away with a stick... imagine a crazy old man waving a stick...Anyway, those birds kept showing up while we're not around and now my koi pond is empty...Those damn birds have even gone as far as catching a hold of my large turtle and try to lift it off. I managed to retrieve the turtle from the neighbor's yard.We're going put in new fish, I guess. Any idea how we can keep those damn birds away? They're huge birds. Here's the culprit.

Grey Heron. They are known for raiding fishponds, and the only solution I've heard of is netting over the pond.

I always found that a gator or two can help.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

QI

quote:

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"...we've worked out the fantastic heron deterrent. We had a problem, terrible with the heron; the heron kept going and eating the fish, so we were told to put a mesh over... It was no good, he got through the mesh. So eventually, we tried to put a fake heron, and the fake heron... thinking that would be the solution, but that had the opposite effect; it attracted three or four herons, who were circling around going, "Whoa! She gorgeous!" You know. Standing there... "Oh, she's so still, the way she stands there, always so still." And, er, so we got rid of the fake heron and then we got a fake crocodile for 7.99. Works a treat! The herons are terrified of this crocodile..."
Bill Bailey

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I saw a setup one in a California koi pond where they had a motion detector hooked up to some water jets that would be triggered to spray if a large bird tried to land in or near the pond. I've also seen people not use netting per se but strung monofilament line spaced about a foot apart over the pond in both north/south and east/west directions. It seemed to work for them.

Electric fish, there are few types of catfish and the eel of course. It might even prove to be funny if you could get a few, electric cats are illegal in some states, and I have no idea on eels or availabilities or what kind of environment considerations it would take to keep them in your pond.I would love to see what the outcome would be when the old heron went after one. Yes I know this is a moronic idea

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"I hate to advocate the use of drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they always worked for me." - Hunter S. ThompsonAd astra per asperaNihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.

Some kind of scarecrow...Er, scareheron

Taz is in Florida, no need for fakes.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Don't real crocs eat turtles, fish, and the occasional biped?Crocodilians: Natural History and Conservation - Crocodiles, Caimans, Alligators, Gharials

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DIET:
Primarily fish, and other aquatic species including turtles and crabs. Also takes birds. Feeds primarily at night. Juveniles take small fish and invertebrates. Often blamed for the disappearance of domestic animals in more populated areas.

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Might be a counter-productive way to solve the heron problem.

But effective.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Dunno if this helps but i had problems with small birds eating my cherries from my cherry tree, my simple solution was to nail a piece of wood on the top branch and i hung a ribbon from that piece of wood as the ribbon mowed in the wind it scared the birds away.

Was the stick in the shape of the cross with a purple ribbon on it??

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"I hate to advocate the use of drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they always worked for me." - Hunter S. ThompsonAd astra per asperaNihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.

HAHAAHAHAH nope it was in the shape of a chromosome with the picture of Darwin on it.normal stick and a red ribbon Anoter option is just shoot the damm birds and if they are as big as he says they are they can be seen as free food

Prob protected under migratory bird laws.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

What are the birds gonna do run to the nearest cop If they are protected then shooting is of the list.The old universal farmer solution is this little device makes some noise and scares birds away