How to Protect your Koi Pond from Raccoons

Raccoons are very intelligent scavengers so protecting your koi pond from them is very important to do, especially if you live in an area where raccoons are common. Most koi parents don't even realize their ponds are getting midnight visitors until koi start to go missing, and when they do notice it takes a few nights to realize that raccoons are the culprits. Whether you realize your pond needs to be protected from raccoons before or after koi start going missing there are a few surprisingly easy ways to keep any masked strangers from visiting your pond.

 Netting

Raccoons are nocturnal so an easy way to keep raccoons out of your pond without changing anything about your yard is using a net. You can put a net over your pond at night and hold it down with rocks or - if you are worried about it being moved off- stakes. Try to keep the netting from laying on the water so your koi do not get caught in the net, this can be done with something as simple as a broomstick or as complex as a frame made specifically for your pond. In the morning when the threat has passed you can remove the netting and enjoy another day viewing your beautiful pond. 

Motion sensors

Another option for scaring off raccoons are lights or scarecrows which turn on when motion is detected in your yard. Security lights will discourage raccoons from entering your yard and it will also make it easy for you to know if you have any masked intruders. There are also scarecrows which will start moving around if anything moves near them, these are good to put up near your pond so raccoons don't come to close. If you are plagued by particularly persistent pests installing motion detecting sprinklers which you can turn on at night will definitely drive off the raccoons. 

Catch-and-Release

If nothing you do chases off the raccoons feasting on your koi, you are worried for the animals well-being, believe the raccoon may become violent, or are having problems with raccoons far from their natural habitat trapping them may be the best solution. Before taking on the task of relocating a raccoon or raccoons be sure to contact a professional who can give you more information about where you should bring them or even help you through the whole process. After purchasing a humane catch-and-release traps you will have to try to outsmart the masked bandits. You can do this by disguising the trap as a bush and putting some bait at the back of the cage. Once you have captured the raccoon wrap the trap in a blanket to protect yourself and keep the raccoon more relaxed. Quickly take the raccoon far from your koi pond and into the forest so both of you can rest easier.

Both putting netting over your pond and setting up motion sensors can help keep other predators away from you koi pond so you will soon be able to rest in peace. Protecting your koi pond from raccoons may seem like a daunting task, but it is not only a great idea - it is pretty easy to do too!

Were you surprised by how easy it is to keep raccoons out of your pond? How have you protected your pond from predators? Are you having problems with animals other than raccoons? If you are you should check out our free Survive & Thrive guide it will tell you all about keeping koi alive in the face of many problems including predators.