Want ducks in my pond

[EddieWalker]

I built a small island on my little 3/4 acre pond. It's probably about the size of a full sized car or pickup. The ducks and geese do use it, but they seem to prefer to sleep and lay eggs on the shore. I did have a goose sitting on a nest for quite awhile, but then she left it and we didn't have any babies. The problem with an island is getting to it if you want to see what's going on there. Now it's overgrown with pine trees taking over. It looks nice, but I'm pretty sure one of these days, those pines are going to die an me and create a mess.

 

[oosik]

The small floating platform I had was OK. The ducks only used it during daytime. It was, quite obviously, not their favorite spot. It would move around etc when the wind blew and present them in a very exposed situation. They definitely preferred the open water or the cat tails. I think it was a lot more appreciated by the big hawks and other predatory birds.

 

[check]

I have the opposite problem. I stocked my 5 acre pond with 400 Rainbow Trout on Spring, and then along came The mergansers - diving ducks who LOVE little fish! Tried yelling, throwing rocks, and even setting off fireworks. (No guns allowed.). Maybe a fake eagle or owl?

 

[oosik]

Darn - check. That's a REAL shame. Suggestion - get some cat tails & related pond weeds growing. The trout will hide there and avoid the "big gulp". Even floating "stuff" will provide a great hiding place. A dock, raft, plastic 55 gallon drums. Field pallets. Trout will be subject to aerial bombardment and removal until they are something over twelve inches. Then it's the eagles, hawks, land otters & osprey that take a toll.

I went from trout to bass for two reasons. I can get baby bass locally, cheap, and bass will reproduce in a lake. Trout will not.

Neighbor had exact same problem as you. Darn expensive trout being taken by everything that flies. He now has about twenty field pallets, roped together. They are anchored to land like a dock. Work like a champ. He is slowly getting cat tails and pond weeds to grow.

Strange - when you want cat tails and pond weeds - it's a slow process. Otherwise, they want to take over the entire lake.

 

[EddieWalker]

I would NEVER NEVER NEVER add cattails to a pond. Once established, they will never stop spreading out and taking over.

 

[oosik]

Well, now Eddie, there are some cavaets to that. Cat tails WILL spread and if the pond/lake is shallow, they can take the entire area. Here on my lake - they extend out to a water depth of about 4 feet. Maybe, a little shallower. Certainly, beyond a depth of four feet - they will not grow.

If there is concern - then I would recommend something floating. Pallets, tied together, into a floating arrangement could be a better choice.

However - erorring on the side of safety. Float some pallets and check with your local Ag extension service regarding pond weed and such. No idea where AlbertC lives and the specifics of his pond situation.

Here - there is absolutely no choice. Every pond, lake, puddle, damp area has cattails. To even attempt to exclude is a fools errand.

Why - in Albert case, there may be none, is a good question.

 

[ovrszd]

I would NEVER NEVER NEVER add cattails to a pond. Once established, they will never stop spreading out and taking over.

I totally agree!!!! Absolutely noxious plant!!!

 

[ovrszd]

5 or 6 years ago I worked on one of my ponds raising the dam. I topped the dam with good black dirt that I removed from the pond edge. In that process I created a 2x2ft clump of dirt sticking up out of the water, out about 8ft in the pond
Canadians nested on it.

So I built a nest box for them using a plastic 50 gallon barrel. Cut the bottom end creating an 18" tall "cup". Mounted it to a steel pipe which I pushed into the pond bottom with my backhoe. Nest is about 5ft from the shoreline and about 18" above water level. I cut a 5" square hole in the side toward the water for the goslings to get out.

They love it. I fill it about half full of nesting material each Spring.

Canadians move their goslings off the pond the day they hatch. This past Summer I was busy and didn't see them. Hatched three.

 

[oosik]

Well guys, in this part of the world the cattail is a valued addition to any lake or pond. Provides valued habitat for waterfowl, amphibians and baby fish. Besides, it is native and everywhere. Learn to love it or move further inland.

 

[ovrszd]

Well guys, in this part of the world the cattail is a valued addition to any lake or pond. Provides valued habitat for waterfowl, amphibians and baby fish. Besides, it is native and everywhere. Learn to love it or move further inland.

With the same fervor it's considered noxious here and killed on sight.