What the Duck?

Have you ever had DUCKS at your pond?

It is so sweet to see ducks in the pond! In the early spring, a pair of ducks may choose your backyard pond to visit every day. This means there is a nest nearby and for a while, dropping by your pond may be a daily routine. The ducks are usually very skittish and will fly away if you get near or make any noise. They won’t stay all year—just until the babies come and they don’t have time to stop by anymore. 

Some people LOVE to have ducks in the pond and look forward to it every year. If that is your situation, keep loving those ducks! 

And if you are lucky enough to actually have a nest in your yard, you may get to see the ducklings!

Ducks are cute—but be aware!

1. Ducks travel from pond to pond, therefore they can carry parasites and unwanted weeds like duckweed to your pond. If you have fish they will usually eat duckweed. Even the ducks will eat duckweed!
2. Ducks will not hesitate to eat fish four inches long or smaller. If your fish are larger this may not be a problem. 
3. They don’t care that the expensive water lily you bought last year is just putting up its first leaves. They will eat them (they ate ours and they will eat other floating plants). 
4. Ducks poop—A LOT. The pond may not be able to handle this load, and it could cause water clarity issues.
5. They don’t pay much attention to loose rocks and may knock them into the pond.

If you love the ducks and haven’t had any issues with them then, by all means, enjoy the ducks!

Pro Tips:

If you don’t want ducks, put a net over the pond for the first few weeks of spring to deter them. 

  Put up a fishing line around the edges of the pond. Ducks generally land and walk up to a pond before they get in. Put the line around three times, at slightly different heights; and run it across the middle of the pond in at least three places for the occasional duck that lands right in the middle of the pond. 

  A dog is the best deterrent for all critters not welcome at your backyard pond. 

If you have any other Spring Pond Concerns, be sure to check our blog page for a remedy. Or contact us with your questions!

Now, how else can Colorado Pond Pros help you? 

We love our jobs and are excited to help you with your backyard pond installation, pond service, and repair! And as the pond experts, we have plenty of advice and info on landscaping as well. 

Contact us today for help tending to your pond or installing a new one!

To learn more about how to take care of your backyard ponds, read Topping Off Your Pond and The Pond Autofill!