Landscaping for Love and Laughter: Designs and Ideas

Many people view the fish pond as the crown jewel of their garden, but birds may just see it as a convenient restaurant. Certain breeds, particularly heron, absolutely love to swoop down and nab a few fish. This is a real problem, and it can be tough to combat. However, you can always use these five options to fight back against those thieving, flying pests.

1. Lay Down a Mesh Shield

Laying down plastic mesh will prevent birds from wetting their beaks, but it needs to be properly weighed down. Nail together four pieces of wood into a rectangular shape big enough to cover the pond, then attach the mesh. You can then lie it down over the pond, weighing down the corners with stones to ensure that it cannot be lifted out of the way.

2. Use a Decoy

There are all kinds of animal decoys on the market, but your best option is probably a large bird. If another one sees it 'feeding' from your pond, they will move on instead of entering into competition. It helps to move it around a little to ensure that the real birds don't become used to it.

3. Border your Pond

Another option is to simply make it harder for birds to access your pond. This can be done by hiring a professional gardening service to create a border of plants around most of the pond. This will prevent birds from getting too close, and it gives your garden an extra bit of wow factor into the bargain.

4. Go Deeper

If you've not actually installed your pond yet, try to go as deep as you can. One of the reasons why birds love fish ponds so much is that they tend to be shallow. Fish would normally retreat to lower depths in order to escape predators, but ponds don't often provide that option. This is pretty much the bird version of shooting fish in a barrel.

5. Use a Motion-Activated Alarm

This will probably be one of the more expensive options, but it's also one of the most effective. Motion sensor alarms can be placed next to the pond. They will then make a sound similar to that of a predator in order to scare birds away.

It's tough to keep your garden free from pests, especially when those pests have wings. However, using these tricks can help keep your fish exactly where they belong.