Your pond can be a welcoming habitat not only for your much loved and cherished fish, but it can also be an attraction to a whole host of other aquatic visitors and residents. This can enhance the enjoyment of your pond no end – and of course a thriving nature or wildlife pond provides an excellent opportunity to educate the younger generation and foster an interest in nature and the great British wildlife. However a thriving pond full of attractive colourful fish can also attract attention of an unwelcome kind – in fact there are a number of creatures that could be considered pests and even a danger to your pond residents.

Chief among these potential pests and predators are the Heron. Herons can be a menace all year round - in the autumn and winter when other food sources may be scarce - but also in spring when they are in search of extra food to feed their young, and in summer when those young heron have matured enough to be on the hunt for their own prey. 

So a hungry heron may well be tempted to venture into your garden with a view to making a meal of your prized aquatic pets at any time of the year! What's more if they've been successful once at your pond they're likely to return another day, and another until your pond is all fished out. Any fish that they don't manage to take can still be injured by their long pointed beaks so they really can be a nightmare.

Of course they’re only doing what’s natural and Herons are a protected species in the UK. Thankfully though, you’ll be pleased to know that there are some extremely effective and humane remedies for this particular pond problem.

Velda Laser Guard

Let's start off with the most high tech, impressive method of them all. The Velda Laser Guard Electronic Heron Deterrent is a state of the art piece of kit. It uses lasers to detect intruders to the pond area and then deploys a sequence of pest countermeasures until the intruder gets the message and flies off to hunt elsewhere.

In fact we were recently contacted by TV's The Gadget Show and we supplied them with a Velda Laser Guard to feature on their show. Watch out for that on your screens soon!

High tech laser gadgets are of course not everyone’s cup of tea, however there are a whole host of other options available as well. See below for some ideas or browse the Pond Deterrents section of our website and we’re sure you’ll find the ideal fit for you're needs.

Heron Lookalike (Decoy)

At the other end of the scale and a distinctly low tech yet effective option is to position a Heron Lookalike by your pond to act as a decoy. Herons are territorial by nature and are likely to be put off by the presence of another heron at a potential feeding spot. Tip: If you decide to employ this method, you can increase its effectiveness by moving around and re-positioning the decoy from time to time.

Pond Covers or Netting

Various types of pond covering products are available that could do a good job of keeping pests from getting at your fish. One of our most popular is the Pond Pyramid Net, or you could just buy some Netting, cut it to size and fit to your requirements. If using this method make sure your netting is fine, taut and covers all areas of the pond to prevent access to even the more determined of predators.

Other Solutions

There are of course a whole host of other solutions to keep pests at bay, ranging from simple reflectors such as the Velda Brilliant Pyramid Heron Scarer or the Velda Heron Stop Spinner, or the brand new Oase Pontec Pondoscare Ball, to Fences with Bells on, and even Electric Fences that deliver a small, safe electric charge to deter intruding animals. See our Pond Deterrents section for details of our full range, or simply browse some of the suggestions.