PH Episode 3 Pond Predators
Pond predators! Herons and Egrets and Minks, oh my! Listen and join in for this episode of The POND HUNTER radio broadcast discussing the predators that prey on your backyard fish pond. They come from the air, from the land, even from the water! There is a pond predator lurking somewhere waiting to make a meal of your beloved watery pets.
Join host Mike Gannon and guest Tim Wood from Aquatic Edge Consulting as they discuss different types of pond predators and some strategies to keep them away from making your pond the neighborhood sushi bar! Some simple tips and tricks could be what saves your watery pets from becoming the next meal for a predator.
Check out the Pond Hunter radio broadcast this Wednesday April 9 at 8PM live, call in at 949-534-0637 with comments, questions, or your stories about pond predators. Download the show anytime, LISTEN NOW!
https://www.blogtalkradio.com/wm-aquaculture/2014/04/10/pond-hunter-episode-3-pond-predators
All copy rights to this material is soley owned by Mike Gannon.
Hi Mike,
I live in the Gaspe pennisula in Quebec, I constructed a dam on my woodlot in a Gully that has under ground natural spring water that is year round and only above ground on my lot ,I am planning on stocking with speckled trout 8 to 10 in. in 3 week,s, The lake is about 100 by 200 ft.I am worried about the predetor,s like the blue huron ,I read maybe a crocodile head decoy may help?
The other animal,s around here are mink,,otter,weasel,raccoon, I intend to live trap these and displace ,any helpful idea,s would be appreciated. Thank,s Ron
Hi Ron,
keeping away the predators is a multi-level strategy, so keeping a gator head will help but I’d still look to other methods to help round out a complete plan of predator control. Some of the predators you have, like mink, are very difficult to control and can certainly do some damage to your fish population. One of my favorite methods is keeping an outdoor radio tuned to a talk station running by the pond. The sound of human voices will be a big deterrent ot most predators who will not be so fast to enter an area where human voices are being heard. Try that and let me know how you do! Mike
Mike, really like your blog and podcasts. We moved from NJ, and had Pondscapes in South Carolina p, where we live now construct our pond. We have goldfish, shubunkinsand Koi. We are near a lot of lakes, it in the four years we had the pond, never lost a fish. That all changed this February and we saw a blow Heron standing on a log in our pond in the middle of the day! It was huge. We chased it away, kept coming back and has gotten my wife’s prized shubinkin and then proceeded to spear a goldfish in front of us. I started putting fishing line around the pond, but not sure if it laid out correctly. You also talk about a radio-we can plug one in but not thrilled with the idea of something electric near the pond. Are there battery operated ones that you can recommend.
I was wondering if I sent you a pic of our pond you could recommend how to crosshatch the fishing line which is 30#. The pondscape people want to put a net on the pond and cut holes for the irises and water lilies and other pleats, but they does not sound good. I have also seen an electric fence that some people have put around the perimeter along with fishing line, but my wife is not a fan since she is afraid of liability and our dogs or other insects such as drangonflie, frogs getting zapped.
We would sure appreciate your help!
Hello Art. I’m happy the blog and podcast have been helpful. Dave from Pondscapes is a good buddy of mine! Sorry to hear the heron is on the prowl. Please email me some photos and I’d be glad to give my feedback. All the best. -Mike