Twice now I've seen strange tracks leading TO the open water of the poor frozen pond, but not FROM the hole! The first time I went over and kind of peeked under the ice edge and 3 or 4 my babies had a swim by, the second time 2 swam by and now nobody! We're just starting into a Chinook, it's only -1C this morning, and most of the snow is gone from the ice, but the ice is still too thick to see through. I seriously need it to melt so I can see if the poor fishies are even still IN there!

We had a mink go for a swim this past summer and Nemo became lunch.........if that little #@*%! has moved in, I'm gonna have a new furry scarf!

I seen a mink swimming in my pond this summer in the evenings and saw him walk away with a frog. I am sure fish are the first course. Get a large live trap set it ASAP. and take him for a long long drive.

Oh SS, that is terrible! I hope your fishy's are okay. I am with Wayne on his idea.
I always like to say I would shoot the predator, but I already know that I can't shoot any animal, unless of course it was a life or death situation, but then again if I had a predator at my pond I might view it that way :P

Yikes SS. I would add and electric fence around your pond if possible. You probably wouldn't need it for long. Don't know how you would install it in the snow. I think they make fiberglass poles for them. I used short bamboo poles for mine you could use longer ones if you could find them. A good source for bamboo poles would be a nursery supply. Animals learn pretty fast about electricity. I would use the tenders that are used for horses and/or smaller animals and the lowest voltage possible. You don't want to kill them just teach them that your pond is off limits. I see it as sending the critter to school. :rolleyes:
tia

KK . Me tinks you and I think alike

Sharon, what do you mean by strange tracks? What did they look like? They walked onto the frozen pond and to the hole but didn't come back out? If it were a mink or other semi-aquatic mammal, the animal would have to come out as they can't stay under long when it's that cold. Can you suspend a net over the pond at least where the hole is? I'm keeping my big pond 90% covered because the heron was here still. I pulled the net off the waterfall so I can keep that open if needed which I can't do through a net frozen into the pond. My ponds are ice free now as it's been above freezing. If you have a mink, you may want to try to trap and relocate it. Mink's are so beautiful. I could swear I have seen them here (they are native) but I'm not positive. Once I saw one run across the road in front of me but it was dusk. Another time, I saw about four animals, one big one and three small ones (babies?) way in the back of our land at dawn in low light. They were brown mammals bigger than cats but smaller than a big fox and wobbled low to the ground as they walked, with long brown tails, and in single file with a purpose. I couldn't figure out what else they might have been. We're supposed to have river otters in MD too but I couldn't imagine it was such a rare animal.

Hi,

I'm sorry about your fish...
I have never seen a mink, they aren't native here. Are they protected (I don't know, if this is the right word)? How can you catch them?

keszi
from Hungary

The tracks haven't been very well defined, just kind of blobs in the snow by the time I see them and hubby said the neighbors Siamese was in the yard last night. I'll see if I can get a net picked up later today and the live trap is now freshly baited. We trapped the mink last time and took him for a drive, but we've always wondered if we took him far enough! If it's the cat making the tracks, I don't think he'd be too successful fishing in this weather, that water is COLD! Now that I think about it maybe that's why the tracks only go one way, he stuck his foot and and then JUMPED?!

well if it is the siamese they are crazy I know I got one FRUIT LOOP (love her anyway) Good luck SS hope you catch the thingamajig

C2

FruitLoop..........I love that C2. I have a 4 1/2 month old rat on a motorcycle! No takers at the live trap yet though.

They're all fine....it finally melted enough that they came over. You guys must have different heaters than me, 'cuz I'm sure mine heats water! At least the fish think so, they're congregating under it.

Oh Sharon, what a wonderful picture! I am sooooo jealous that you can see your fishy's. They look great! I am sure your fish do feel the heat off of your allied heater! I would be under there too!! Thanks for sharing!

SS can you post more pics of the pond it looks real nice. I can see mine but not as active as yours but heck my pond only holds 2 cups water max...kidding but it is small..

C2

Sharon, I have a NEW Allied ( the 1500 watt ) and I agree with you. It's not a true 'hole maker', it's more of a water warmer. Fish are all moving pretty good. I checked my thermometer twice while I was outside ( moving it to 2 different areas ) and the water was 50F!!! I have no ice or snow at all!! It has been sunny and warmer lately but I still expected some stuff around. Tommorrow I'll be checking the temp. again. I've put the de-icer on dawn/dusk remote control so I don't have to unplug it to use the dryer but I can't see the thing being 'on' when we don't need it.

I thought the heater was supposed to have a shut-off at 0, but I just got the electric bill and I don't think it does. I bought a thermo-cube for it that turns on at -7, but I think that might be a little too cold.

More pics are at My Photobucket
I'll try and get some winter pics up there today

awsome pics! Thanks. That look like a little undertaking there. How does that creek bed/stream work I like that..


C2

Wow!!
Nice pictures. Quite a project. It sure turned out beautiful. Before & after photos are cool to look at.
Thanks for sharing.
:)

great pics. :) I love the waterfall/creek area.

:ph43r: Hi. I had a martin which is the same family as the mink but smaller ithink and longer, eat half of my goldfish in my pond. I had 170 fair size goldfish in the pond which is about 2 feet deep to 3 or so more in the deep end and i saw the litte martin jump in my pond and chasing the fish around till he got one and ran out. I tryed to trap him but they are very smart and went by the trap with a fresh sacrificed goldfish as bait from the pond inside. He ate about 100 or so of the 170 in the pond when i was at camp for 3 weeks. To trap him i would suggest putting a 4 inch diameter solid weeping tile at least 5 feet long, block one end and make a lid to shut on the other end with a trigger. and put beside your pond. When the come around they like to hide out in holes in the ground or bushes so this might catch him. I had a martin run into weeping tile that leads to my pond as he was hiding from me as i tryed to net him.

The stream works pretty well, C2! I was sure it went uphill in the 'during' phase, but it didn't. There is a 5' wide liner about 20' long (I think), with a couple of depressions that slow it down and gives me a place for lilies. I think the biggest problem you'd run into building one is the tendency to drop it too fast and then slowing it down with rocks would overflow the liner. Ours does tend to get pretty full at the 'lilly corner'!

Ya, that is the only problem with using an allied stock tank heater, they use a lot of power. It is like leaving on 15 100 watt light bulbs 24/7!!!! Maybe you could get a thermo pond like I have, they are not that expensive, and they are only 100w, and I tell ya if it works for me up here, then it would certainly do the trick for you! Have you ever used Ponds online Canada to order from??? They are AWESOME and FAST!!!

KK..........I'm going to look for one today on my last minute shopping tour!

The water temp. is down to 44F today. We've had alot of rain. It's not do-able for me to get ANOTHER de-icer so I'll be keeping mine on the remote extension. We're not in our deep freeze yet so all is well. :)