As we all look forward to enjoying Central Florida's cooler temperatures in the months ahead we need to be proactive when it comes to protecting our koi fish from predators.
A few simple additions to your backyard pond can save your beloved koi.
Know your enemies
While there are many predators that love to eat fish we really only have a few that cause problems in the Central Florida area.
For the raccoon, you have to first remember he doesn’t mind getting his hands wet, however he does not want to get his entire body wet so it is not likely swim to catch a fish. The design of the pond plays a big role in the safety of your koi. A plant shelf that is too shallow will help him snag a fish every time.
The Florida Great White Egret and the Blue Heron are much more of a challenge to deal with. They are very crafty and smart birds and you should not underestimate them.
These two birds tend to be more of a concern in our winter months. As the lake fish swim deeper in the cooler months it becomes more difficult to get fish from the lakes. They then often find their way into our backyard ponds.
While there are many predators that love to eat fish we really only have a few that cause problems in the Central Florida area.
For the raccoon, you have to first remember he doesn’t mind getting his hands wet, however he does not want to get his entire body wet so it is not likely swim to catch a fish. The design of the pond plays a big role in the safety of your koi. A plant shelf that is too shallow will help him snag a fish every time.
The Florida Great White Egret and the Blue Heron are much more of a challenge to deal with. They are very crafty and smart birds and you should not underestimate them.
These two birds tend to be more of a concern in our winter months. As the lake fish swim deeper in the cooler months it becomes more difficult to get fish from the lakes. They then often find their way into our backyard ponds.
How to protect your koi
There are many methods available to keep them or scare them
away from your pond – from plastic heron statue replicas to floating alligator
decoys and motion-activated sprinkler. Often ponds are netted to prevent the
unwanted predator from entering the pond.These options all offer varying levels of success for every water garden hobbyist.
How Decoys Work
Your first defense is to use a decoy of some sort, whether it is heron or alligator decoy. They work better if you keep moving them around the pond to fool the heron into thinking they are real. Herons would rather not feed in the same water as an alligator, and if they see that another bird has staked out your backyard already, they are more likely to move on to the next available spot. The trick is to move the decoy about every three days in the winter and spring and every couple of weeks in the summer.
Fingers Crossed
The most important thing to remember is to have fun with
your fish, and to remember that all of these occurrences are case specific. You
may never see a heron or raccoon in your backyard.
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