Pond screen

[Burd]

I made this screen a few years ago, I couldn’t find the thread I posted it. I have redone the screen like 5 times. the last time I did it the next evening doe walks rite across it. She puts 2 big holes in it , looks back and looks at the damage. Lol. Well, I just redid it again for fall. Keeps allot of junk out.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Your pond would be a mess withought it!

I could barely even tell there was a pond there!

 

[Mmathis]

@Burd What did you make the frame out of?

 

[TheFishGuy]

@Burd What did you make the frame out of?

looks like 1x2s

probably only work for a smaller pond though.

 

[Burd]

It’s just cheap 1x2 furring strips, I put little legs on it so the frogs can get past it if they like. I almost forgot , I gotta. Pull the filter/ pump for the winter. Pump comes out, bird bath heater goes in. I have a small pool hand skimmer, it’s great for skimming the pond. I need a new one, it’s falling apart.
your rite on the mess, there’s so many trees here it’s unreal. First year I moved in and all the leaves w3 t in, all the frogs died over the winter, it was a smelly mess in the spring. I had to drain and clean it out.

 

[poconojoe]

Here's what I do....pvc pipe frame with nylon pond/bird netting. I hammer fiberglass driveway marker sticks into the ground and slip the PVC pipe over them creating a bow in the PVC. I tie- wrap the net to the pvc. I use 4 way pvc fittings to join the pipe at the intersections.

 

[Burd]

Let’s see some other ways people keep the leaves out.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Let’s see some other ways people keep the leaves out.

That will be of use to me! because I am about to fill up my pond, and well, lets just say it doesn't have a skimmer or intake bay.

 

[mrsclem]

I have the same pvc frame as Pocanojoe but with a wide weave net and then window screen.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Let’s see some other ways people keep the leaves out.

Well, I might be an outlier, but I simply embrace the leafy mayhem! When the leaves do their major drop I just get out there with my net & scoop for an hour or so. Pics from last November -
View from above:

And, down at pond level:



An hour & a half later, with some concentrated scooping:


What we *do* do as ongoing preventative winter maintenance can be seen in that last picture if you look closely. We put up a horizontal barrier of deer fence mesh to stop the fallen leaves from blowing up out of the ravine during winter wind storms. It doesn't stop 100% of the mess, but it does keep it to a manageable level. I am out in my yard pretty much every single day, all year long. Having to take a few minutes to grab a net & scoop out a few leaves just isn't a big deal to me. It gives me an excuse to play around near the pond in the 'off season'.

 

[snoozer]

I end up scooping leaves out. Tried to net the pond but at 25x35 it was a challenge. A huge net full of wet leave was just to much for this old lady.

 

[addy1]

My one leaf dropper died and we just cut way back the old not doing well apple trees. The only leaves that make it into the pond come blowing in from who knows where. Most of the leaves get blow away from the ponds. Great prevailing winds.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Some interesting methods!

My pond is literally sitting directly under a tree, a tree that makes flowers to fall off in the spring, and leaves to fall off in the fall.

Soooo I will probably have to do a net, or just get everything out with the pool net.

 

[mrsclem]

Even once all the leaves are down , we still have a problem with leaves blowing in from surrounding areas. The pond area gets a big cross wind.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Even once all the leaves are down , we still have a problem with leaves blowing in from surrounding areas. The pond area gets a big cross wind.

That's exactly the issue we have & why we do the leaf "fence" which blocks the end of the pond that faces N - NW (where the winter winds come howling in from) I also try to leave as much of the plant material as possible that stands outside the pond edges to help catch & stop any blowing leaves.

One other thing I have to do during high leaf time is put a stick or branch of some kind across the surface of the water right in front of one of our skimmers. The pump in that one is so strong it will end up 'starving' if the basket gets too full of leaves. By creating a 'leaf dam' right in front of the skimmer I can help eliminate that problem.