Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Blue Heron

I am seeing more Blue Herons around the ponds I have been watching, it seems they have my schedule down. When they hear the truck, there out of there. So my question is there a good method for keeping them off the ponds 24/7, no electricity is near the ponds.

Hey Josh,

I am no expert with the fricken GBH but I can tell you they are a pain. I have read that not much works. I can't remember I wanna say Theo has posted about putting rods and rapping rope around the rods going around the edge of your pond about 20 inches high as the BH won't land in the water. They walk up to it and if there is rope in the way they can't get over it and it's suppose to keep them out for the most part. At least it's something like that I can't remember. If you do some searches on the site for Blue Herons you may find some good info. It's been disscussed quite a few times.

Good Luck,

I posted this in another thread:


First off they will not wipe out your fish! That said, if you want them to find another Golden Coral buffet there are several things you can do that are nonlethal.

1.) One or more staked lines around the pond. (My favorite and works 24/7 for you) I use heavy cheap mono tied to stakes made of cheap furrow strips in the areas the herons frequent set about 18 inches above the ground and water. You can add more strands if you feel it would make it more effective. I've actually run strands over the water over bluegill colonies. Basically the heron is a wading bird and this prevents it from wading in. It won't help you now but I have an article coming out in the next Pond Boss magazine that deals with them.

2.) Electric fence

3.) Harass them every time you see them. Or
train a dog to run him off. Or fire shots or bottle rockets his way. Once they get used to your pond and feel they have found a good thing this proabably is only temporary. It works better early in the spring when they first show up.

4.) Swan decoy. Forget the owl decoy. Waste of money.

5.) Scarecrow activated water sprayer(s) with a motion detector hooked up to a pressure tank.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...sl_9h6g6wyh5j_b

Keep in mind for those that brag about shooting them, it's a federal offense, and if you're caught without a permit you can get a serious fine and some jail time. These are federally protected migratory birds. Only fish farms can get permits to take them out, and only once they've exhausted nonlethal methods to keep them away.

Thanks RC and Cecil.

Josh,

This thread has some info and pictures on the subject.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=229910#Post229910

I haven't read any other threads about blue herons but I always heard a great blue heron decoy will keep other great blue herons away, they are supposed to be territorial. Is this not true?

loretta, I've also heard that they are territorial, but I suppose a heron decoy's effectiveness would depend on the size of the pond and lines of sight.

They are also not a stupid bird by any means and would probably figure out the decoy is fake. I would think it would be more effective initially when a new heron flies over and thinks there is already a heron there that has set up shop.

Thanks for your input Sunil and Cecil!