Reiger Scarer

If you have a pond and don't like nets and electric fences to keep herons (reigers) away, you may be interested in this inexpensive but effective solution. We have not lost any fish, so the method appears to work. Using a cheap 'bewegings-melder', an even cheaper disco strobe-light and a big plastic plant pot you can make a good reiger defence for about 20 euros. Reigers don't like flashing lights. You can put mirrors or hang old CD's around the pond, but they are not much use in dull weather, and do not look very nice. Reigers hunt in the early morning, or just before it gets dark, so mirrors will protect you from a reiger that is fishing in bright sunshine by mistake because he is too hungry to care, almost blind or totally mad.



I have tried to catch a reiger trying to get at the fish on film, but although they come into the garden or sit on the roof, they never come near the pond. I love reigers, but not when they go fishing in our garden.