Ponds in Canada

[callingcolleen1]

Ha HA HA!!! You look funny in your new disguise JW! I have another video of my wild puppies protecting the pond and yard today!

 

[j.w]

Glad to have you back posting up your daily video's. I could just look at them forever. Puts me in a good frame of mind..................not that I'm in the pits or anything. I just enjoy looking at all your pond, critters and happy junk

 

[callingcolleen1]

Kind of depressed, weather is cold and it wants to rain, Something is eating the smaller fish again this year in the bottom pond. I seem to be missing half the smaller fish if not more! All was fine yesterday, so I suspect it was a snake in the middle of the night again!!! Funny, just a month ago I was worried that maybe the pond had too many fish, but problem solved now!! Nothing seems to have bothered the larger fish in the top or middle pond, don't think a blue heron is to blame as he would have a hard time getting in with all the stuff hanging overhead, beside's what ever came, it came in the middle of the night!! Last year I had same problem, and have seen snakes creeping about in the evening.....

 

[callingcolleen1]

Out of about 30 or so smaller goldifsh, and one baby koi, I seem to have counted only about 7 very scared little goldfish. Maybe a king fisher is here?

 

[callingcolleen1]

and the front pond fish apear very scared too, and are hiding in cave.....

 

[addy1]

Darn Colleen sorry to hear that, good population control, but not good if you lose all your fish

 

[j.w]

Hope you can figure it out and isn't there any kind of snake barrier you can put up if it turns out it's a snake?

 

[callingcolleen1]

I found a few more small goldfish that were hiding under the filter, so maybe only a few went missing. I suspect maybe a snake, cause only the bottom pond seems to be effected, nobody scared in the upper two ponds as the big koi must scare off the snakes, my big koi might think there were a big worm! I suspect the small green grass snakes, as I have seen them here before trying to eat small fish. I also think the snakes probally came in the middle of the night, cause all was fine yesterday.

 

[j.w]

Wonder if you could put something down that would be uncomfortable for the snakes to crawl over? Somebody said laying down a rough sided sisal rope might deter them but then someone else said that did not work.

Another idea someone wrote:
Dogs and cats are naturally well suited to dealing with snakes. The mere presence of a dog or cat in the yard, and their associated odors, will often discourage a snake from venturing into your pet's "territory" Snakes see the household pet as a predator and will prefer to avoid them if possible..

So Colleen you better spread some doggie odor from your pups around. Tell Bear to lift his leg more around your paths or maybe man pee would work

 

[j.w]

There is also something called snake away, just google it. They say it is safe but not sure if you put it too close to a pond.

 

[waynefrcan]

Hi Colleen whats new? Hope all is well.

My 2 yellow iris have come back strong after all winter in the pond. I have them in pots still. I guess I should take them out of the pots and set them in water level up to the rootball or lower? I heard some water plants have anchor roots that will puncture holes in the liner, this isn't one of them right? Also have 5 variated iris and have not been in the pond yet but all made it through the winter in pots in the veggie garden.

 

[waynefrcan]

What other plants will work well here that have some color like blues or purple besides lilly's? Something that grows taller.

Ot hey I got last year some cat tails from another pond friend from their pond. Any luck with those?

 

[callingcolleen1]

Thanks Wayne, all is well, except something scaring the small goldfish in the bottom pond, found a few more goldfish, they are all starting to come out of hiding now that I fed them food, although they are still timid.
I am going to start leaving the lights on at night and see if that helps.

Wayne you should try the marsh Marigold, they bloom really nice in the spring, and just love extremem cold. Anither hardy plant is the Wool Grass Bull Rush, or the Sweet Flag (not an iris). The yellow flag has never made a hole in the liner in all the 23 years I have it. If your yellow flag is not a root ball, take it out of the pot and place back in the water near the waters edge. Once it is able to hold itself up, it can be floated in a deeper section of the pond so that the fish can winter under the plant.
Go to run and take puppies to park now, will send pictures later tonight.....

 

[callingcolleen1]

Last night by the pond....

 

[j.w]

One day they are gonna suck your fingers right off!