what is killing my pond fish?

[ejmjohnston]

hi all can you help some thing is killing my fish it always happens at night. the fish are just missing their heads up to the gills not a mark on the rest of the body i have lost 10 fish this way now the fish are always floating at the top of water which tells me that it is not cats cos cats flip them out of the water

 

[j.w]

ejmjohnston
Sounds like something w/ big teeth like maybe a raccoon or other critter snapping at them when they come up to the surface. Heck it really sounds kinda weird but that's all I can think of. Maybe put a net over it at least for the nights. Hope you can stop it soon.

 

[fishin4cars]

To me it sounds like a mink or otter. No netting over the pond?

 

[HARO]

I tend to agree with Larkin. Coons tend to leave the heads and eat only the bodies. Herons or kingfishers take the whole fish. John

 

[j.w]

Ewwwwww, so minks and otters just take the head? Is it cuz that's the first thing that they see popping up? How come they just don't jump in and get the whole fish?

 

[ejmjohnston]

Thanks all for your comments. Im from the UK so very much doubt its a Racoon, but a friend of mine has mentioned maybe a minx, what do you think about maybe a Weasle or a Stoat???? And if so why would they only take the heads and not the bodies?? I havent any netting as yet but im thinking of putting some on over the winter, ill try and upload a picture of a fish that i found this morning!

 

[DrCase]

Sorry about your loss
And welcome to the forum
Your description is enough i don't think you need to upload the after pics
a few of the before would be good to see what size your fish are

 

[koiguy1969]

Ozzy Osbourne....i'd bet !!..........................................lol

 

[addy1]

Maybe throw a layer of sand around and see if you can pick up some prints. That would help you in figuring out what is killing your fish. Good luck

 

[HARO]

Weasel, stoat, fisher....any mink farms in your area? Even an escaped pet ferret; I'd be willing to bet it's something from that family!
John

 

[mogsie]

ive researched this for another forum member before , could it be happening in the early hours of the morning ?? i found reports of such incidents and the culprits were magpie's /crows, they naturally try to grab their prey by the heads with their beaks so they cannot get bitten, now as the fish wriggles about the bird tightens its grip with its beak and unwittingly ends up biting the head off, as they dont have rear serations in their beaks like herons/gulls etc it is the only way they can try to grip the fish !
plus their are no raccoons in the uk !

 

[j.w]

Really mogsie.............no raccoons in the uk? I think we here in the states can arrange for some of those little bandits to pack their bags and head on over to check the place out.............see if they might want to move in for a nice looooooooooooooong visit,lol!

 

[addy1]

We will sneak them on to a plane........give them directions to his house.

 

[j.w]

Heck we'll send a whole boat load of the little suckers w/ a lovely fruit basket for mogsie when they arrive safely! Hey mogsie what's your address,lol?

 

[mogsie]

my address is buckingham palace send them there !! lol