Do I take the net off?

Over the passed year I have had a problem with both cats and Herons in my pond.
After the loss of 3 fish a net was put on, which I hate.
A new cat appeared and has been a pain through the summer trying to get to the fish at night.
So I got one of the water shooters.
It seems to work fine and I would love to take the net off.
But do I dare ?

 

Hi Lyn :D

As far as the cat goes you could get a silent siren box to keep cats out of your garden, but i'm afraid the Heron is another kettle of fish what a pun!

 

The water shooter gets rid of the cats .
It's one of those that when the beam is broked it shoots water and makes a clicking noise that scares them off.
I've seen it work with the cats.
It's the Heron Im worried about.
I haven't seen one scared by it as they normaly come very early in the morning.

 

Probably worth leaving the net on till after leaf fall anyway.

 

Leave it on Lyn better being safe than sorry.

 

I think I will leave it on to catch the leaves, good point.
Then through the winter as the water shooter may have to be turned off if it gets to cold as to freeze.
I might try the net off in the spring.
I do hate the net on.
It looks awful and makes it difficult to do anything in the pond.

 

Decoy Herons are supposed to work well (plastic pretend ones), but you MUST move them around, as after a while, the Heron catches on it doesn't move.

 

Probably a stupid idea (i have a lot of those), can you get nodding birds? Like nodding dogs that you see all over the place?

I have a nodding tortoise in the garden and thought if you could get bird type ones perhaps the Herons wouldn't catch on so quickly that they aren't real?

Good idea by the way Honeybee :D

 

fake herons do work by making the heron die of laughing.

If you have the money you could opt for an underwater "grille"

its a plstic grille made in sections and it sits just uner the water, they are so good you can (should you want to) stand on it

 

Thanks .
I'll have a good think and look around and decide what to do in the spring.
Some of the koi I have are BIG I have had them a long time and don't want them to end up as Heron breakfast.

 

The plastic herons work until it�s mating session apparently (urban myth maybe), my nettings looks ugly, but I leave it on all the time.

 

trust me, plastic herons do not work (other than to make money for those who make and sell plastic herons)

 

Wg is right Lyn the net or a grille is a good option they will also stop fish jumping out, this year I went in the garden at dusk doing my last round up and found my biggest Koi dry almost dead near the back door , they had been frisky all day chasing round the pond and she had jumped out ,I spent seveal hours pushing her through the water to get oxygen in her luckily she survived.