I get my nets from a local garden center. Even Lowes or Home Depot should have them. They can also be ordered online. The kind I get, I think, is called Bird-X or something like that. Yes, I cover my whole pond. Herons have been known to get under the net if places are left open.

I had good success with just fishing line about 12' above the pond and spaced maybe 3' apart. The pond was pretty well enclosed by buildings and fences so this made rigging easy. But I think it could be rigged just above the water too, maybe closer spacing and 4' or so above the water. I've heard they also don't like fishing line strung along the bank.

Herons, egrets and ducks can all see the fishing line, like 20-30lb test. I had a hard time seeing it. They all stopped about 5-10' above the line. Ducks just made an adjustment and came on in and had no trouble getting back out.

I was surprised that Egrets were still willing to come it. One landed in an adjacent tree and climbed down inside the tree. Impressive.

Herons and egrets are happy to hover and pluck a fish out of a deep end while flying. They don't have to be standing in the water.

I've never seen plant cover slow down a heron or egret. Cover works both ways and these guys do this for a living. If you don't have a problem now, or in the past in the fall, I wouldn't worry too much. Another matter if someone shows up which they can at anytime.

Boy am I glad you posted this. I've had no heron problems (crossing fingers) but didn't net the pond last fall and spent waaay too much time netting out leaves once they started falling. I bought a roll of netting several years ago and have found many uses for it.
Will

I use a swimming pool net. It stretches and I stake it down with camping tent spikes. It was about $55 but I don't remember where I got it. Check online.

Matt

"Herons and egrets are happy to hover and pluck a fish out of a deep end while flying. They don't have to be standing in the water. "

I've never seen a Heron hover!!
Must of cross-bred with a hummingbird - lol

fred

I bought from Best Net because they had the smallest diameter holes I could find. I think Jenny (Koijoii) got the same net from a gardent center.

Lisa

Troy, your pond (14' x 20') is about the same size as the lower pool of our pond.

We will probably have to start installing our netting setup this week as the Maple tree nearest our pond is starting to shed leaves. I was late to do this last year and many of the leaves got into the pond and the tannins in the leaves made the water a nasty tea color.

So here's what we've done:

Bought some black buckets. The 5 gal type buckets you see at home improvement stores (Fill the buckets part-way with concrete. We used a lightweight Quickcrete type of concrete and added a black or grey tint to it. Both the Quickcrete and tinting formula are available from most hardware stores. You fill the lower part of the bucket with concrete to give yourself an anchor for a future support rod/pole coming up out of your bucket. You only need to fill the bottom four or five inches of the bucket with concrete, because you'll have to move them and too much concrete is too heavy.

While the conc is still un-cured (wet) set up your first stick of netting support into the uncured concrete. We used black pvc that have threaded ends and couplers available as the stick/pole material. This might be the most difficult thing to FIND but it is worth it as you probably don't want white pvc sticking out of the pond -- the sunlight will catch the white stuff and draw the onlooker's eyes too easily whereas the black stuff really disappears when viewed from a distance. I haven't had much luck finding this type of pvc (black type) online but my local pond store has it available.

Eventually you can fit the black 3/4" pvc pipe sections together to any height so to tent the netting up over the center of your pond or around your waterfall. I would definitely cover your WHOLE pond! At the very top of our pole we cap it with another pvc threaded connection, this one has a T-shaped adapter (yes, it's black too) -- this allows you to run a rope or cable line thru; I've also seen people use a simple tennis ball and just cut it open on the bottom of the ball, splay the ball onto the pole and lay the net over that.

The beauty of this system is: you can move the buckets around as you need; they are reusable year to year, just like the netting; you can adjust depending on your particular or changing circumstances; and, you can still get into the pond if need be and keep the net over the pond because you are able to walk around in the middle of the pond since it is tented.

Hope that helps.

This sounds a bit like what my husband is thinking of doing since a heron got 2 of my comets last week. Do you have some pictures that you could post of your set up?

Well, I have pictures just not sure if I can manage to post them!? Technology-challenged, you know.

OMG Pondbucket! I never thought of that!
Buckets would solve the "netting in the water" problem. I have thought of using buckets of cement to hold the legs of the awning I put up for shade, but I never thought to use them in the water! My mind is going a mile-a-minute thinking of the possibilities. Time to make a shopping list....
sam

I use bird netting from Lowe's. I drove six rebar into the ground about 12 to 18' from the edge of the pond and set black plastic flexible piping over the rebar, six of them. Over this I drape the net and secure it with black electrician zip ties, two per each end of piping. I can lift the whole thing off with net intact or lift off just one end of any pipe and the net stays attached.

I trimmed the net so about 12' is open at the bottom but it is 12 to 18' away from the pond edge. Herons won't go under it, you pull it tight to catch leaves, etc. and the frogs and regular birds can get in and out.

The net I bought was 14' x 14' so you would need to buy two or not cover your waterfall end.

Here is a photo which shows one corner of the pond with the black plastic, flexible pipting and the net over it, zipped with the black ties.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:231193}}

Hi there,

Am thinking about protecting my pond from herons as I saw two fly over the other day while sat by my pond. I have a water scarecrow but I keep forgetting it's there & get soaked everytime! I was thinking of using fishing wire as I still want small birds to get to the pondside. Do you put the wire around the pond like a cattle fence to stop them walking in or do you put it over? Also, do you hang things, like strips of tin-foil from the wire so birds can see it (I've heard of owls geting tangled up in the wire, apparently our native tawny owls like fish as well, but they're quite small & I don't have any babies yet).

Running thin line over the pond won't help. Herons will work right around it. You have to remember herons walk up to the pond and wait by the edge for a fish to come to the surface. They will have no problem striking between fishing line. A net is the only 100% fool proof method after trying many methods, but then I have lots of herons.

I also tried the scarecrow and forgot about it and shot myself with it, also the dog, and once my neighbor. I think herons will get used to them in time as well. I sold mine.

The black net is not as obvious looking as hanging stuff from lines IMO. Leave the net open at the bottom and out a bit from the edges and small birds will go in and out. On occasion one will get trapped if a frog causes it to panic. Big frogs eat small birds and anything else they see and can fit, or partially fit, into their big mouths! Sometimes they grab a bird too big to stuff in and instead they drown it.

You can move frogs to other suitable wild quarters but you can't predict herons. Once they find your pond they keep coming back. It is a easy sushi bar to them and the fish, being colorful, are easy targets. I'm inclined to think the fish come up to them thinking they will be fed and then will hide once a few fish get taken, but will then forget after several days and the heron eats again.

Our pond is located along the side of our house.

First pic: about one month ago. The upper pool is filled with water hyacinths and the small waterfall between the two pools is virtually obscured.
The small stream between the upper pool and the filterfalls is blocked from view by the hyacinths and other plants.

{{gwi:231194}}IMG>

Second pic = a picture from last October. This is about the current state of my pond. I've gone in and trimmed everything back but I haven't dropped the plants into deeper water yet (won't for another month or more). Notice the three net-holding rods or poles in the center of the lower pool.

{{gwi:231195}}IMG>

Third pic = old pic of the base of the poles. I've already installed my net holders and netting because that Maple tree you see at the front end of my yard is always first tree to drop leaves 'round where I live!

IMG>

I FINALLY TOOK A COUPLE OF HOURS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO POST PICTURES! WISH I COULD HAVE SOME OF THOSE HOURS BACK! lol.

oh yes
i figured since my pond was beside my patio a heron would not come oh yes he cleaned me out,I tricked him this year he came pond was covered,bird net,cant use just that,he stands on it spears fish,we have snow fence over it for winter but were gonna make one out of concrete reinforcing wire & net it will be on always I have about 2 grand in koi .

The black buckets are a great idea. I may have to go find some of those to get in the water. Could you use stone in the bottom since there isnt enough time to fully cure cement before it gets really cold out there?

Troy

Troy,

Concrete can cure under water so I don't think it will be a problem... I don't think there is anything in the concrete or the concrete dye that will harm your water since we're talking about such a small quantity.

I think I paid $5 or so for the black buckets at our local TruValue Hardware so that tells us that if a local store near you doesn't have them, they can order them... my experience is that it all comes from one or two warehouses anyway.

And actually, my local pond store does the same thing using the medium-large size lilly containers. Just fill the whole container if doing it with the much smaller lily containers (versus 5 gal buckets). I guess it go to show you don't need a lot of concrete to make the base.

I just used the buckets I used because: A, they were cheaper than the other BLACK containers in my neck of the woods; B, I like the idea of the handle on the buckets (although they are white and I didn't paint or cover'em) for lowering and pulling them about of the water.

The other thing I haven't mentioned yet is the dual use of the grey PVC used for the pole. You can use the same setup as a nifty base for a wintertime-used pump or bubbler; because it is a threaded connection not only can you adjust the height of the rod/pole, you can change out the couplers for other fittings.

MODIFICATION OF THE BASE FOR A PUMP BASE: Before placing your concrete in the bucket make a small hole in the lower side of the bucket for a barb fitting (this will later attach to a hose coming from a submersible pump). On the other end of the barb fitting inside the bucket (before concrete is added) connect the PVC up with a short straight piece and then an elbow to turn it upward. These can be the more common white PVC since it will eventually be covered with concrete. Then connect the white PVC with the grey PVC; I would suggest using a threaded coupler for this. Then add the wet, dyed concrete mixture.

You now have a base with an adjustable PVC pipe to use as a bubbler when you are thru with your netting... but I just make an extra one and keep the pond covered all winter.