Keeping ducks off a pond..........

[MikeG]

..........other than with a shotgun, or nuking them from orbit.

We have a newish garden pond with frogs and newts, and a load of tadpoles. A pair of mallards arrived this morning and caused devastation, massacring the tadpoles, hauling plants out, and stirring up a whole lot of mud. It's not huge, being about 5 metres by 3 (16 feet by 10), but big enough that I don't want to be putting a net over it.

Is there anything we can do to prevent their return? My first thought was a big plastic swan, given that swans drive ducks away from their territory on the local river, but if anyone has a better idea, I'd be pleased to hear it.

 

[classic33]

Can you move them at this time of year?

 

[MikeG]

They're not nesting, they're just raiding.

 

[Drago]

Some kind of net? Some kind of bird scarer? I'm afraid my only interaction with birds is either shooting or eating them.

 

[Mo1959]

Put some orange sauce out..............maybe they'll take the hint

 

[welsh dragon]

Sometimes running fishing line across the pond will deter them. They wonf like coming into contact with the line when they try to land. A couple of line length way and width ways should do it.

 

[Markymark]

Concrete it over and build a new bike shed.

 

[S-Express]

A net, as above - or simply run lines of string across the pond, which works just as well.

 

[Dayvo]

Put one of these close by to the pond, in a tree if possible:

A model, not the real thing.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Concrete

 

[TheDoctor]

Mines?

 

[Profpointy]

Pirhanna fish?

 

[Drago]

Sharks?

 

[Cuchilo]

Throw bread in the pond , they hate that !
A ducklover .

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Ducks eat tadpoles and plants and other stuff which is found in ponds. Accept it.