Koi fish are very beautiful and majestic animals that can brighten even the dirtiest ponds. Having Koi as a part of your family can sometimes cause heartache if they die unexpectedly. One of the many ways that Koi fish can reach a premature death is from getting eaten by raccoons. Knowing how to protect Koi from raccoons is crucial in helping the Koi member of your family live a long life. There are three pieces of information that every pond owner should know about protecting your Koi from raccoons: how they catch the Koi, how to identify if a raccoon is eating your Koi, and how to protect the Koi fish from raccoons.
Raccoons have a very unique way of catching Koi. They will walk up to the pond and try to fling the Koi fish out of the water with their claws. This is dangerous because even if they do not get the chance to eat the Koi, your fish will have sustained scratches from the raccoon’s claws. It is important to know that raccoons will never get into the water because they are unable to catch fish while they are swimming. Be aware that although the raccoon is not able to catch the fish while swimming, they can still do severe damage with their claws.
In order to know how to protect Koi fish from raccoons, you need to identify if a raccoon is actually eating them, or if it is a Blue Herron. Blue Herrons will generally eat your fish whole, and leave nothing behind. This is not the case for raccoons. After the raccoon scoops the Koi from the pond, they will eat the “good parts” and leave the carcass behind. Raccoons will always leave part of the fish on the ground next to the pond. If you see a half-digested Koi fish lying next to your pond, then a raccoon is the predator that got it.
There are a few different ways to protect Koi from raccoons. The first way occurs when a pond is originally built. When you come to the stage where you are putting rocks on the edge of the pond, choose flat ones. Then allow about three to four inches of overhang. Overhang will help the Koi find easy hiding spots when the raccoon is in the area. You can also build the ledge of the pond higher above the water, which will prevent the raccoon from dipping their claws into the pond. Or, you can purchase a motion-activated sprinkler to protect your Koi from raccoons. If the sprinkler senses any movement, it will shoot a quick blast of water in all directions and scare the raccoon away. The third, and least popular method of protecting your Koi fish from raccoons is to put a net over the entire pond. This may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it will stop the raccoons from harming your Koi.
Knowing how to protect Koi from raccoons is a crucial part of owning a Koi pond.
