Pond puzzle & who ate the lillies

by Sherrie S

+96

Answered

Now what in the world found a way into the pond, chewed up two lillies and dropped petals on top of the bird netting? Bird netting is 16" above the pond and held down by stone at the bottom. No indication of entry anywhere. It came from outer space?

Yesterday Lily was 8" across

Parts of Lily on TOP of birdnetting

Lily at bottom & top of bird netting

97 answers

Bernice H on Nov 12, 2012
oooh my doodness! Here we go again!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
@Bernice H yup, here we go again & this time I'm stumped. I usually have a plan but not this time.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
OHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOO!!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! Time to get a motion sensor camera and catch the culprit in the act!! WOW - That is really strange!! Do ya think the Heron is getting revenge???

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
@Susan S I have security cameras all around the house. That's how I caught the Heron on camera. This time it is wayyyyy too spooky. I gave the Heron to @Becky H in Tampa. She hasn't thanked me enough yet.

Helpful Reply

Douglas Hunt on Nov 12, 2012
@Sherrie S : The mesh doesn't completely seal in the pond, right? So something could've gotten under the mesh and eaten the leaf. (There are many people on here who know much more about ponds than I do and maybe they will have an idea about what would find them tasty.)

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
Well that ungrateful . . . . . . !! Is it possible he got 'homesick' and came back for a visit? But still, the netting is OVER THE lillies so how in the world did something get in there? No fish missing, right? Do racoons eat lillies - but still, HOW did something get in there and I'd think a racoon or even possum would have left some sort of evidence where it tore open the netting. Geez - this is really weird!!

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
I'm thinking Squirrel...how far is the flower from the nearest "edge" of the pond?

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
@Douglas Hunt I have never had problems with a lily - even the koi don't eat the flower. To get under the net the thing would have to be tiny. Whatever it was went to the top of the net to finish and dropped some petals on the top. Nothing on the net is out of place. The net is 16" above the pond. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
Like I said.....SQUIRREL!!! Lol that is their habit...stuff eh cheeks full and run off to eat it...

Helpful Reply

Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
@Sharron W the squirrels have never ever gone into the pond. There is so much food around the yard I can't imagine them wanting to eat a lily or 2 and then jumping on top of the bird netting to eat it.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
Well i don't know....they ate the fire out of my tulip blossoms....the kids took video of me chasing one off and shaking the tree until it lept to the ground and ran up another tree....LOL they threatened to put it on youtube...and then gave me a "squirrel" for christmas to put in my garden...

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
Hmmmmm - do you think it was a snake of some sort? The strange part is 1) getting under the netting to get the lilly and then 2) apparently eating the flower while on top of the netting???? So if you have a security camera was it trained directly on the pond and have you looked at the tape to see if anything was captured?

1 marked as helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
@Susan S I'm going to finish checking the cameras now. I never would have known about the heron without them but this new THING must be very, very small.

Helpful Reply
360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Nov 12, 2012
did you trap a turtle maybe?

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
OR, very very sly & cunning!!

Helpful Reply
Douglas Hunt on Nov 12, 2012
I think it's time for pond cam.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
. . . . . . . or a turtle!! Good thinking 4 S!!! But then again, if it was a turtle wouldn't it be more likely to also go after the fish too???

Helpful Reply
360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Nov 12, 2012
little turtles don't eat big fishies and some turtles are vegan

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
If it was a turtle, would it have crawled out on top to enjoy it's stolen snack?

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
Ok this is what one website said.... Turtles and koi will eat water lilies. So will ducks and raccoons. If you start your pond with one water lily and one turtle or koi, soon you will have a large turtle or koi and no water lily. If you buy one turtle or koi and many water lilies hoping your critters could never eat that much, you will have larger critters and no water lilies. Water lilies are expensive critter food. http://www.squidoo.com/waterlilies

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
@Sharron W My koi will eat or dig up the lily roots and kill the plant but they never cared about the eating the beautiful flower & throwing it on top of the bird netting. There is more to this & I will finish looking at the cameras later today. My fish are safe & now I have other very important people issues to attend to.

Helpful Reply
Bernice H on Nov 12, 2012
@Sherrie S hmmmm All I have to worry about is my fur baby cat eating anything left in dishes hanging around! I hope you get this current mystery resolved soon. Sooo interesting following your adventures! wonder what the next one will be? Not sasquatch, he doesnt live in Florida.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
@Bernice H Sasquatch! LOL

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
I should have looked at the camera before posting but I just freaked out. This animal walked the entire pond on top of the birdnetting. He didn't get in - he just tried to eat something from the top & all he got was a mouthfull of lillies. That is how the petals got on the top of birdnetting. Problem solved!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
Whoops, he is on the right side of the pond.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
Don't know if Sherrie has introduced the new white Koi into the mix yet or not. If she has, maybe this guy hasn't learned 'pond manners' yet!! Apparently the other fishies didn't have an inclination to eat the flowers - but that still doesn't explain how the petals got on top of the netting. This just gets curiosier and curiosier!!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 12, 2012
I hope this helps someone else. Without the cameras I never would have guessed. Sorry I don't know my right from my left but you can see he is on the right, right?

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 12, 2012
OH EM GEE!! WHOODA THUNK!!! ROCKY RACOON~~~!!! NOW WHATCHA GONNA DO??? Little bugger!!

Helpful Reply
Z on Nov 12, 2012
OH my gosh that little rascal.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 12, 2012
Now THAT is how I lost ALL my fish in my pond.... I bought a Humane Trap (Large) and baited it with Tuna.... caught 3 racoons...one of them was like Grandpa Racoon and he just about tore the cage to pieces....Hubby and I had to use a broom handle through the handle of the cage to carry it out of the backyard.... The Animal control people said if you don't take tehm at least 6 miles away, they'll just come back... so they went off to the Boogie Bottoms...

Helpful Reply
Bernice H on Nov 13, 2012
@Sherrie S Am I the only one who doesnt see this critter? Maybe I just cant tell what it is .......but i have trouble identifying babies in ultrasounds too. @Sharron W Boogie Bottoms? Boogie Bottoms???? sorry, but in my head boogie bottoms are.....YOU know! I am really out of touch .

Helpful Reply
Bernice H on Nov 13, 2012
OOOHHHHH now I see him!

Helpful Reply
Douglas Hunt on Nov 13, 2012
That netting must be really taut for a raccoon to risk walking across it. Glad the mystery is solved, and that the invaders are being thwarted on all fronts.

Helpful Reply
KMS Woodworks on Nov 13, 2012
Rocky comes to visit us sometimes too. http://kmswoodworks.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/a-vist-from-rocky/

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 13, 2012
After seeing him walk across the pond netting we decided to run a few more lines of fishing line because he was able to get pretty close to the top of the water to chew on the lily. Oh, I love my cameras. PHEW! Whats next?

Helpful Reply
KMS Woodworks on Nov 13, 2012
Gators?

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 13, 2012
@KMS Woodworks your racoon is cute. I will be checking my cameras to see if he returned last night. All fish are accounted for today.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 13, 2012
@KMS Woodworks Gators? LOL LOL if they show up she'll blame you for jinxing her...

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 13, 2012
@KMS Woodworks even a gator would have a hard time breaking into this pond. I think I won, I think I won. @KMS Woodworks no, no gators. They have a little lake in my backyard and I've never seen one yet.

Helpful Reply
Aquascape Inc. on Nov 13, 2012
Wow! Just saw this post and was going to reply ... but then saw your raccoon photos. That's one brave raccoon. Great detective work!

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 13, 2012
@Bernice H - No, you are not the only one to have trouble seeing babies on ultra sounds or 'coons in Sherrie's pond!! I like to have never actually found it. Looked, looked - NOTHIN!! Went back today and woh-lah!! There he was!! I still don't get how it got the lily though. Isn't it underneath the netting? The little grids would make it impossible to pull it up through without shredding it. I must be missing something . . .

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 13, 2012
@Susan S and @Aquascape Inc. all I can say is I was shocked when I saw a racoon on the camera. I want to keep my fish safe & then a racoon arrives AFTER a HERON attack. Never before have I had a racoon problem. This IS a war & I will win!

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 13, 2012
The Heron probably sent a note to the racoons telling them it was moving to Becky's place and the pond was all theirs!! I have no doubt you will win!!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 13, 2012
Yeah me! @Becky H I really didn't want to send the heron to you but I did and I am glad. Love Ya!

Helpful Reply
KneeDeep Ponds, Inc. on Nov 13, 2012
@Sherrie S you might be over thinking this...the fishing line is supporting the net...right...supports the 'coon when he comes to visit. I'm surprised he didn't get his claws caught in the net. Adding more fishing line is going to add more support if you place it under the net and just one more thing for him to grab or dodge getting back on the net...I'd take the chance and remove the net. Fishing line crosses my pond on four points and i have not had a heron problem in over three years not to mention the hawks and owls...nada, zero, zip...not one fish lost, stolen or made a meal of ;o)

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 13, 2012
I might be wrong, but I believe the fishing line is a "bird" guard. Raccoons swim and work around most preventatives. Someone "in the know" tell me I'm wrong!!

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 13, 2012
I know the racoons we caught Bent the heck out of a welded metal cage, so if he wants to tear down the net he will....for right now he's stymied....I'd leave it alone...and turn up the pressure on the scarecrow...

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 13, 2012
@KneeDeep Ponds, Inc. The net is about 16 inches above the pond and it is pulled very tightly. The fishing line kept the net up so that fat little racoon couldn't reach the water. We will be adding more fishing line. The scarecrow has to be adjusted - it is shooting too high and mostly hits me. @Becky H you are 100% correct & you didn't thank me for the heron.

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 13, 2012
Oh! Pardon me @Sherrie S! It arrived without a bow or a card, so I wasn't absolutely positive it wasn't hunger that drove it from your pond to mine. Thank you, you sweet little thing for thinking of me!!...............NOT!

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 13, 2012
KAT FIGHT!! EVR'BODY WATCH OUT!! THERE'S GONNA BE FUR A FLYIN'!!!

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 13, 2012
Nah @Susan S ...........feathers!!

Helpful Reply
Rocky Mountain WaterScape on Nov 14, 2012
Think with your scarecrow adjusted right ad the netting over the pond, your little visitor might give up. But they are persistent! Do you have a fish cave for your koi?

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 14, 2012
@Becky H oh I feel so bad sending the heron present without a card. How about a racoon with a bow & a card. After calling me sweet little thing why did you type NOT!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 14, 2012
@Rocky Mountain WaterScape the installers didn't call them fish caves - They called them fish tunnels & they are built around the inside of the entire pond. My pleco has his own entrance & uses it often & he is huge. My newest Koi found another entrance the day he arrived. Too bad my other Koi forgot where to hide when the heron attacked.

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 14, 2012
The sweet gift, @Sherrie S, would have been a seed eating bird, "not" a fish eating bird............and now, you want to send me something that wears a burglar's mask? Are raccoon collars still popular on winter coats?

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 14, 2012
NOOOOOOOOOOW GIRLS!!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 14, 2012
@Becky H oh whoops I think I crossed the line. @Susan S Dear Queen help me!

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 14, 2012
BOTH OF YOU GO TO YOUR TOWERS, RIGHT NOW!!! lol @Sherrie S & @Becky H

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 14, 2012
OK.

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 14, 2012
Pout...........pout............

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 14, 2012
OK, YOU TWO CAN GET OUT AT NOON TOMORROW!! BUT THE NEXT TIME . . .

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 15, 2012
LOL!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 15, 2012
@Becky H in 42 minutes you & I can get out of our Queen imposed towers. I can't wait.

Helpful Reply
Lentzcaping, Inc. on Nov 15, 2012
You found it was a racoon. Al's guess here was a fish, or an animal crossed the netting weighing it down to the height of the lily pad.

Helpful Reply
Lentzcaping, Inc. on Nov 15, 2012
James Ponds says Turtle!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 15, 2012
@Lentzcaping, Inc. Al was right it was a chubby Racoon and the lily was quite big & high above the water. He spent about 3 minutes working on it and then walked the entire pond on top of the net & left. He returned 10 minutes later & quickly gave up.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 15, 2012
AND THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS, DON'T MESS WITH SHERRIE OR HER POND!! or fishies or lilies!!!

Helpful Reply
Jennifer Rowse on Nov 15, 2012
Amazing amimals! Poor Lily!

Helpful Reply
Lentzcaping, Inc. on Nov 15, 2012
Ponds support life! Even unwanted guests!

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 15, 2012
@Lentzcaping, Inc. - Ohhhhh, but you don't know Sherrie like I know Sherrie!! She has designated feeding/habitat stations for specific critters and they just better not cross the line!!!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 15, 2012
@Jennifer Rowse I have no problem with the Racoon eating the lily, I just don't want him to eat the Koi. He seems to have a big yard full of food stuff so maybe he gave up on the pond. @Susan S as usual you are correct.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 15, 2012
@Susan S LOL, cross the line...Eat at your own station please...hahaha

Helpful Reply
Bernice H on Nov 15, 2012
@Jennifer Rowse Whatever do you have your head in?? One of @Sherrie S 's koi?

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 15, 2012
@Bernice H Good question. @Jennifer Rowse I, too, want to know what has those teeth. @Sharron W there are rules here that some creatures don't follow - I send them to @Becky H with a card & a thank you.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 15, 2012
I think it's a big ole shark at a park somewhere!! @Sherrie S- you do have signs posted around your yard to designate the feeding stations, right???

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 15, 2012
No, I'm sorry to admit that @Susan S. Nature pretty much takes care of everything but sometimes I have to help nature when things get out of control - Work around her but don't fight her.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 15, 2012
Well, that's what I meant about posting signs Miss @Sherrie S - that way there would be no confusion about where the animals are allowed to eat. The 1st one should be at the pond - something saying 'if you have wings & fly, if you have four paws and walk, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED to eat at my pond'!!! LOL

Helpful Reply
Jennifer Rowse on Nov 17, 2012
Haha @Bernice H! The photo was taken on a pier in Wildwood NJ, in front of the Great White Wooden Roller coaster ride.

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 17, 2012
@Jennifer Rowse I need to add that to my backyard to keep critters away from the pond.

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 17, 2012
@Jennifer Rowse - is this part of the area that was destroyed by Sandy? I sure hope not!!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 17, 2012
@Susan S @Sharron W @Bernice H @Jennifer Rowse well I thought I saw it all but last night a bear visited. Search wildlife - Bear. Pics aren't great but you can tell it is a bear.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 17, 2012
OMG! A BEAR!!!!! Uhhhh you got a FENCE up....Holy smokes girl...you need a scarcrow with a gun...LOL

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 18, 2012
@Sharron W you made me laugh - scarecrow with a gun. The night the bear showed up we had turned off the scarecrow because it hits me all of the time & I was working around the pond. Scarecrow is back ON, birdnetting ON, solar blanket ON! Fish safe.

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 18, 2012
@Sherrie S is your yard fenced?

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 18, 2012
@Becky H No, only a 25' dog potty area is fenced so doggies can go in and out their door & monitor the yard & poop. I'm surprised the racoon hasn't come in their doggy door.

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 18, 2012
Better start locking the doggie door at dark before he gets the idea...

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 18, 2012
@Sharron W the fenced area and doggy door has been there over 8 years - I know that doesn't mean things won't change but.........

Helpful Reply
Sharron W on Nov 18, 2012
Well your new "wildlife santuary" is just starting to seriously scare me...LOL when it was a heron, you were mad, I was sad but not afraid for your life...that changed recently...

Helpful Reply
Susan S on Nov 18, 2012
Oh yeah, and don't forget to turn your motion sensor lights on either!! You gotta use all your ammunition girlfriend - THIS IS WAR!!!

Helpful Reply
Jennifer Rowse on Nov 19, 2012
I believe the piers in Wildwood were not as badly as some, like Sea Isle City for instance. Thanks for asking @Susan S!

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 19, 2012
@Sharron W and @Susan S I already won the heron war at least till the next one. Without cussing the best I can say about the heron is he is obstinate & think he owns the pond. The bear is very, very shy and will leave if he sees or hears anyone.

Helpful Reply
Becky H on Nov 25, 2012
@Sherrie S you may wish to install one of those doggie doors that work with a radio transmiter collar. That way, unless the animal is wearing one of the collars, it can't gain entry through the doggie door. I've a friend who installed a regular doggie door for her cats to use and ended up with an entire family of raccoons in her master bedroom to greet her as she got out of the shower. If you can imagine her with towels wrapped around body and head, coming into the room to find 2 raccoons on the bed while the other 2 are exploring her room. I laughed my butt off when I heard her describe the scene.

Helpful Reply
Sherrie S on Nov 25, 2012
@Becky H I have NO problems with my BIG doggie doors. My Doggies have noses, eyes and ears that are so superior to mine & they use them. With my dogs, security lights, security cameras I am not going to add a doggie collar. They would not like it; I've been there and done that and Maxx had no idea that it should stop him.

Helpful Reply
Lulu on Jan 26, 2016
I ate them,and I'm so sorry!

Helpful Reply
- Kat13546949 on Nov 07, 2016
  LOLOL Very funny for Monday morning!
  
  Helpful
Sherrie Slaboda on Jan 27, 2016
@lulu I didn't know herons could talk.

Helpful Reply
- Dixie on Nov 07, 2016
  I had a great white heron in my patio and the next day my beautiful expen$ive fantail fish were gone! He evidently just specked it out the first day. Boo! I can't imagine what would eat the flower and bring it up above the netting. I would have originally said some of those nasty worms. Good luck
  
  Helpful
Lulu on Jan 27, 2016
HE,HE!

Helpful Reply
Deb K on Jun 05, 2023

Hi Sherri, hope this helps. Animals such as beavers, ducks, and deer also eat parts of the water lily. Fish, such as grass carp, sometimes eat water lilies as well.

Helpful Reply

Related Discussions

GNATS - How to get rid of them?

Gina Garbo Answered on Apr 11, 2024

Somehow my house and garden got tiny gnats that killed my fuchsia plant and fly everywhere. I have tried ALL the Web recommendations - soap and oil dishes, sand in th... See more

122

See Answers

Marigolds growing! Should I pinch the buds?

Dianne King Answered on Jan 29, 2024

My marigold plants are growing. I heard that pinching the buds until Autumn will allow them to grow without killing the plant. Is this true?

See Answers

Growing garlic

Decor&Dine Answered on Jan 01, 2024

Growing our first garlic, should we wait until the leaves are drying out before we pick it? Husband picked first one today along with our first potatoes.

See Answers

How to keep mice out of your garden?

Debra Answered on Sep 22, 2023

Hi everyone, I have mice in my garden destroying my vegetables and I have also noticed them in the barn and shed. Please can someone tell me how to prevent them from ... See more

See Answers

What's the best flower/plant to grow in Texas?

Susan Answered 7 days ago

I know that opinions vary, but what's your opinion?!I have great luck w Rosemary plants. Green all year long.

See Answers

Squash Plants Large and Healthy and no Squash Growing?

Jim Ginas Answered on Sep 22, 2023

2nd Season in a ROW! Squash plants growing large and healthy leaves and the stems near the roots are looking healthy and turning dark green, getting flowers that grow... See more

squash plants large and healthy and no squash growing, 2 large plants growing

See Answers

Trail of dead grass mystery?

Joan K Answered on Oct 18, 2023

Trail of dead grass appeared two weeks ago that starts in neighbor's yard and goes to the sidewalk, then continues past the sidewalk in a line into the grass into my ... See more

trail of dead grass mystery, Trail of dead grass to the street

See Answers

Pond puzzle & who ate the lillies

Suggested Project Book

WOW. 11 Dreamy Ideas for People Who Have Backyard Pools

Other

More

Pond puzzle & who ate the lillies

Suggested Project Book