Herons are majestic and attractive birds that have only one flaw: they're opportunistic predators that would love to feast on your pet Koi. That's why as you take care of your Koi, be on guard all the time and never leave your pond unattended.

These are cunning and deceitful birds: they might seem harmless when you first notice them lurking around your Koi garden. Standing around 2 to 3 feet tall, they have very large wingspan, with a graceful appearance. But don't get fooled by those looks, for they are predators on the prowl, ready to snatch up your fish!

When you look at your pond and you've noticed that you're lacking some fish, greater chances is that the heron is the suspect. When you notice some large gaping holes in the sides of your fish, this means that a heron has attempted to snatch up your fish, but just didn't have the necessary grip to get it successfully. There are also times when you will find your fish lying on the lawn a few feet away from the pond, which is a result of them being dropped by the heron after being scooped up from the pond.

So, given these facts, there are some necessary measures that you can do to avoid these unwanted incidents. However, these kind of "detours" will work only for a minimal time.

1) Plastic herons - You can place a fake, plastic heron in your garden. The purpose of this is to prevent the heron from landing on that specific spot. This will work for some parts of the season, but may prove ineffective when the mating season begins, as they may land near the plastic heron when they're looking for their mate.

2) Making noises - If you catch a heron about to go for your fish, what you can do is you can make a lot of noise and then physically frighten it as best as you can. You can shout, cast things at it, or whatever it is that can scare it. Remember: the more frightened it is, the lesser chance there is for its return any time soon.

3) Alter your routine - You can constantly change your routine. These birds are smart enough to know and detect your presence. Visit your pond as frequent as you can so that you will be able to increase your chances of catching herons in the act. If you are not able to do so, you can ask or enlist someone to visit your pond instead. Giving permission to older and trustworthy children to visit your pond is another good idea, as this can add presence to your Koi pond.

4) Create a hiding spot for your Koi - Another great idea is by creating a hiding place for your fish in the pond. You may notice that after a heron attacks a pond, it would seem that the bird has gotten all of its prey, but you'll see that your fish will start to appear from strange hiding places once the scare stops.

By providing a hiding place for your fish to protect them from attacks, you'll reduce significantly the amount of fish that the heron will catch (don't fret if your Koi seems like they're hiding from you, because they know that you will not harm them)!).

5)Do not restock your pond right away - As you take care of your pond, don't restock it right away in an event of an attack from herons. The bird will be forced to search for another feeding ground instead if you would take a little bit of time before you restock your pond.