Most Phoenix homeowners understand that we don’t have near the predator issues that exist in the rest of the country, and most of us are grateful that we don’t have to deal with otters, muskrats, or alligators. We do have our own persistent fish-eating predators to deal with, though: herons and raccoons are the two we hear about the most.
INITIAL POND DESIGN
The first, and best, method of keeping your fish friends safe is to build them a home that gives them an advantage over the predators. In other words, make it big enough and deep enough for them to get away, as well as building a few caves into the pond walls. The best bet is more than one cave because one cave, especially in a two-foot deep pond, is little more than a trap that a heron can stake out and wait for your fish to peek out and be snatched one by one.
A nice 50% coverage of lily leaves through the center of the pond also adds to your fish’s advantage.
Many, if not most, ponds are not built with these advantages, for a multitude of reasons, mostly revolving around experience and planning, or lack thereof. For those ponds, the following methods have been helpful in various situations.
MOTION-ACTIVATED SCARE DEVICE
A Scarecrow impact sprinkler is the best-known brand. It is an impact sprinkler that shoots a burst of water at a target area whenever anything larger than a rabbit moves in front of it.
Pros: It works. It’s fairly inexpensive (about $100) to acquire, plus plumbing. They are readily available, including on-line purchasing.
Cons: You have to get a water source to it. A garden hose will work, but you have to leave it pressurized, so use a heavy-duty one or you’ll come home to a flood if the hose breaks open. The safest method for a water source is ½” schedule 40 line plumbed to a water source. This could get expensive depending on how far you have to run the pipe. In addition, it is indiscriminate. You and your pets will get a shower every time you forget that it’s active. It will also chase off any wildlife you were hoping to keep around.
Noise maker. Set up a motion-activated flood lamp fixture and add something noisy plugged into it. We have used an old drill with a bent drill bit in an old mail box. A small radio with the volume set on high will also work. Or a hair dryer. You get the idea.
Pros:Again, reasonable, about $100 to set up. You might get a good laugh at 2 AM when it goes off. And there’s no need for a water source.
Cons:You will probably hear it at 2 AM if you have raccoons in the area. It has the same indiscriminate issues as with the Scarecrow.
DECOY STATUARY
Heron: This is based on the territoriality of these birds and the idea that they do not want to fish side by side. We have found this to not always be the case. In fact, we have been witness to several heron fishing within a few feet of one another on the shoreline of our local golf course ponds.
Alligator: These are not indigenous to this part of the country, so most of our locals will not recognize them as anything potentially dangerous. While most herons are migratory, many have adapted to life around here and never leave town, which is an example of how we have altered our desert to the point that the ecosystem is changing (but that’s another rant for another time).
Dog: This might even work if it gets moved around regularly.
Pros: These can be an inexpensive option. And some of the statuary available today make nice-looking garden décor.
Cons: If they are to work at all, they should be moved around every couple of days or the regular “flyovers” will recognize them as statues. And, by the way, raccoons don’t care. You will also need to repaint them occasionally, as our Arizona sun fades everything.
ELECTRIC FENCE
There are several options for these. The cost starts under $100, and you can spend much more. They are effective, but will add a “prison” look to your pond that may be distasteful. They are difficult to take down and store away for parties, so you generally just have to get used to the look. They are also indiscriminate, and will shock everything bigger than a field mouse, so wildlife viewing opportunities will become scarce. We don’t really recommend this option.
FISHING LINE TRIP WIRE
This is among our favorite because of its simplicity. We use a 6-lb test, invisible fishing line, and tie it to pieces of driftwood and a couple of noise makers around the pond perimeter. For noise makers, we like to use a couple of aluminum soda cans filled with several pieces of gravel (not too much, as you don’t want a lot of weight). We anchor the string around the perimeter of the pond so that the line weaves back and forth across the shoreline within a foot or so. When a heron or raccoon trips on the line, things start moving and making noise all around the pond. If they panic, it can get real exciting in the yard for a few seconds! Not many critters come back for seconds of that kind of action.
GUARD DOG
Nothing beats a Jack Russell Terrier, or any kind of Terrier or territorial dog for critter control. A dog is a HUGE commitment, though, and will require more care and effort than your fish and their pond habitat, so don’t choose this option lightly.
Every single pond, and its setting, is unique. We have found that even when we think we know for sure the right plan of attack (or defense), Mother Nature’s bandits have a way of educating us again and again. So don’t be afraid to try more than one thing on this list.
Serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Arizona (AZ) & Surrounding Areas
For more information on Pond Design & Construction: https://pondgnome.com/pond-construction-phoenix-az/
