Any Ideas on How to Keep Raccoons from Eaiting Our Koi Fish?

We have a professional landscaper irrigation store in Campbell (Lane Irrigation) and while I was buying stuff for my low-flow system, they showed me the coolest thing: a motion detector sprinkler system. Even cats and raccoons will set off the "scarecrow".
If you search Amazon.com for scarecrow sprinkler

you can see them there.

S.
I have been told that moth balls will keep pests out of your yard. I have no idea if it works, but am anxious to try it.
W. M

My parents had this same problem and did two things. First of all they Black Netting over the pond. Netting with decent sized holes in it so you can feed the fish. They also got one of those motion detector Sprinklers that they turn on at night. That way if a racoon gets near the pond it will be frightened off by the noise and water spray.

Rent a trap and relocate them. I just trapped and relocated four raccoons this week. Fish are tasty treats for raccoons.

Also, yes a deeper pond works and I know someone who put a big piece of slate near the bottom that the fish can hide under.

Hi S.,

So sorry to hear that you have lost 4 of your fish! We had a similar experience several years ago where a raccoon swiped at one of our koi; however, they quickly learned to swim to the bottom and hide from the predators. It sounds like your pond might not be deep enough for the fish to get away? It needs to be at least 1 1/2 ft deep to keep the fish away from the raccoons (raccoons will wade, but they won't swim). If it's not deep enough then the koi need a place to hide like another poster suggested (pvc pipe, rock formation, etc). We have raccoons come to our pond EVERY night and they are not able to reach the fish because our pond is deep enough and we have hiding places for the koi. However, the raccoons like to play and root around on the ponds edge destroying our plants (which are also expensive!)! We tried two water spray motion detectors and they did NOT work. The raccoons do not mind water! We bought an electric fence (pulsating for small animals) at a feed store for just the perimeter of the pond. We have not yet installed the fence, but we have heard positive feedback from a friend whose mother installed one and completely eliminated her raccoon problem!
Good luck to you,
K.

Sometimes people put like a wire mesh over the top of the pond so that the raccoons cannot get into the pond. I also know that where I used to live, my neighbors would get raccoons all the time and I never did. I had a hot tub in my yard. And a friend who is a physicist said that the smell of the hot tub chemicals either masked the smell of anything that would attract raccoons or repelled the raccoons. I actually only used baking soda and white vinegar in my hot tub most of the time. I never used harsh chemicals. Although I did also use a "copper" additive which is another "eco" sanitizer. You're probably not going go splurge for a hot tub, but maybe a bucket with some water, baking soda, and white vinegar in it would do it? Also the wire mesh on top seems to work too.

I think a racoon got our fish too! My parents have a huge pond up in the PAC. NW - not only do they have to fend off racoons but snakes and herons too!
They bought a sprinkler that has a motion sensor that blasts a hard shot of water whenever anything gets near it to keep the deer out of my mom's beloved roses. It seems to work on the other fish thieves too except for snakes.
It was advertised as a deer repellent - ask a good gardening store for help getting you one. They also draped the pond with netting - -which only worked on the herons.

My parents have a Koi pond too but it's Herons and Raccoons that basically cleaned them out (they have only 1 fish left).

Other than re-doing your pond to make sure it is deeper (so that the fish have ample room to dive and escape). You can temporarily put a metal fencing section over the pond and secure it with rocks (ugly) but worked as a deterent. You can put a motion detecting light on the pond so it will come on when anything moves by the pond (could be annoying because the dogs and other critters will trigger the light too.)

Not a lot of great options - Sorry : (

Hi S., the only thing I can tell you is, tacky as it may sound, find a way to make a chicken wire cover for your Koi fish pond. That way your fish will be protected from the pesty racoons. Hope your dogs have their rabies shots also as Racoons can be rabies carriers, and they are also fierce fighters if either one of your dogs ever cornered one or caught one. Hope this suggestion helps, Sincerely, CJ

Someone suggested mothballs. I would avoid these.
Here is a link discussing risks involved i using mothballs:
http://www.purdue.edu/dp/envirosoft/housewaste/house/moth...

Give the fish places to hide , over hanging ledges or tunnels made of black pot or pvc pipe. Also if your pond has step sides the raccoons can't get in to fish them out.
P..

Dear S.,
I live across the street from a river and I can't keep fish to save myself. Raccoons, skunks...for some reason they think I have fish just so they can have a nightly snack. I gave up trying. My sister has a beautiful pond in her backyard within the city limits and she still had trouble. She tried water plants, bamboo stakes sticking up. She finally re-did the sides to make it deeper and that's the only thing that worked. There was something about the raccoons not being able to tell how deep the water was that helped. Plus the fish could hide without being seen or shiny in the moonlight.
I hope you get some advice that will be easier.

Best wishes!

there are several things you can try. one is to install an electric fence, this will depend on what kind of fence you have around your yard (if you have one). another is to install a motion detector that sprays water (typically a 3 second blast) but that might not work with the dogs. my dad had a smallish pond and put netting over the top. the last one i know of is to plant the perimeter of the pond with thorny plants. raccoons hate thorny plants and will avoid them. a last resort should be trapping them in a humane cage and releasing them in another location. please dont do anything that will harm the raccoons...they have it rough enough. good luck!