Pond netting

[Chris Kostuk]

Hello everyone. I plan on installing netting over my pond to keep the leaves out this fall. The pond is 30' L x 7' W. Is there any netting alternatives besides a custom pond net? I've seen pond nets for sale online and they are expensive. Thanks.

 

[Angel]

I bought a net 8 years ago for about 100 to 150 usd.. And still going strong. Invest . Well worth it.

 

[Lisak1]

@addy1 has shared where she got her net from - I know she's been really happy with it.

 

[teeemkay]

Drs Foster and Smith have a 20'x30' pond net for $44.99 USD plus shipping. (That's the only one I saw online that was big enough to cover a 30' pond dimension.)

I have a smaller net for my pond and it is worth every penny. It keeps about 95% of the leaves, pine needles, etc. out of the pond and also out of the skimmer net. Before I had the net, I was cleaning the skimmer 3 times a day. There are a lot of trees on my property, so there are a LOT of leaves blowing around by October.

I usually install it by early October once I get some of the vegetation around the pond cut down, and I try to take it off before we get heavy snow or before the surface ices over just so it's not in the way when I have to put the de-icers in the water.

The only negative thing I can say about pond nets is that two small garter snakes got stuck in the loops the first year I used the net. It didn't happen last year--not sure why.

 

[addy1]

@addy1 has shared where she got her net from - I know she's been really happy with it.

Mine is just to keep herons out, it doesn't stop leaves. It is a gill fishing net. They might have small enough weaves to stop leaves.

www.memphisnet.net/

 

[ashirley]

I have mine netted to keep the herons out but I use the bird netting from Tractor Supply. I don't know if it would be strong enough to keep the leaves out.

 

[Mmathis]

Try Home Depot or Lowes in the garden department, or as someone else commented, "bird netting" from places like Tractor Supply. They carry several size options [size of the holes], but you may have to piece them together since what they carry is usually on rolls and no longer than 48 or so inches wide. The size of the openings, I guess, would depend on the trees you have and what they drop. The only thing that I've noticed that you have to watch out for is that places where the leaves concentrate, the netting will droop and might hang into the water. When this happened to me once, I was afraid that the fish would get caught in the net [not to mention, having the leaves in contact with the water.....]. I used PVC pipe as a support, and it helped to position one end/side higher than the other so the leaves tended to slide off rather than accumulate.

 

[Chris Kostuk]

Drs Foster and Smith have a 20'x30' pond net for $44.99 USD plus shipping. (That's the only one I saw online that was big enough to cover a 30' pond dimension.)

I have a smaller net for my pond and it is worth every penny. It keeps about 95% of the leaves, pine needles, etc. out of the pond and also out of the skimmer net. Before I had the net, I was cleaning the skimmer 3 times a day. There are a lot of trees on my property, so there are a LOT of leaves blowing around by October.

I usually install it by early October once I get some of the vegetation around the pond cut down, and I try to take it off before we get heavy snow or before the surface ices over just so it's not in the way when I have to put the de-icers in the water.

The only negative thing I can say about pond nets is that two small garter snakes got stuck in the loops the first year I used the net. It didn't happen last year--not sure why.

Thanks teeemkay,
I will check it out. Removing leaves and pine needles is a lousy hobby!

 

[Faebinder]

Thanks teeemkay,
I will check it out. Removing leaves and pine needles is a lousy hobby!

Indeed it is.

Here is the one I use. Get the bigger one... Though you got 30 feet so you may want two but I think you can stretch one out to cover 20' and that should stop most leaves.

 

[IPA]

I like my PVC and window screen because I have pin oak and weeping willow to deal with; it also adds some shade. For the original plan of a larger pond I was just going to make it in 3 or more sections and considered making them rotating flat panels of 6 sections instead of tents, think of a solar panel suspended by poles at either end. I especially like @j.w 's simple solution, you can see it here:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/showcase/j-ws-pond.6/#tab2

 

[BobDE]

I got mine from Amazon. Got a real fine mesh as the larger mesh still let the smaller leaves in.

 

[mgmine]

I have the one from Drs Foster and Smith and it works fine. I simply lay it on the pond and put stakes around to hold it in place. It settles on the water and becomes invisible. I leave it in until the spring, Watch for their sale which seems to be every other week.

 

[Mmathis]

I have the one from Drs Foster and Smith and it works fine. I simply lay it on the pond and put stakes around to hold it in place. It settles on the water and becomes invisible. I leave it in until the spring, Watch for their sale which seems to be every other week.

If it settles in the water, I would be afraid that the fish could get trapped or injured. They are notorious for trying to swim through and into small spaces.

 

[2vettes]

when having heron trouble we bought a net at the pond store for AROUND $50 . it is big enough that we folded it double and it still covers our 12x20 pond . it is about a 3/4 inch mesh . we stretch ropes , actually heavy strings , 3 lengthwise and 5 crosswise [ forming a grid , obviously ] and anchor them with heavy wires pushed into ground . we just lay rocks on the net to anchor it . easy to put on AND easy to store . came home one day and found heron standing on middle of net and wife's favorite comet on other side of net dying . luckily the heron actually prefers chipmunks , for which i'm grateful [ or greatful ] not because of the fish it saves but we have a large excess of chipmunks for a while in the early summer. . . . peace

 

[Faebinder]

when having heron trouble we bought a net at the pond store for AROUND $50 . it is big enough that we folded it double and it still covers our 12x20 pond . it is about a 3/4 inch mesh . we stretch ropes , actually heavy strings , 3 lengthwise and 5 crosswise [ forming a grid , obviously ] and anchor them with heavy wires pushed into ground . we just lay rocks on the net to anchor it . easy to put on AND easy to store . came home one day and found heron standing on middle of net and wife's favorite comet on other side of net dying . luckily the heron actually prefers chipmunks , for which i'm grateful [ or greatful ] not because of the fish it saves but we have a large excess of chipmunks for a while in the early summer. . . . peace

You gotta raise the net high if you are dealing with herons.