The beauty of fall brings with it challenges for backyard pond
keepers, not the least of which are falling and blowing leaves.
The last thing you want is heavy debris in your pond at the time
when it needs to be cleaned and prepped for winter. At the same
time, as nights chill and the amount of natural food dwindles,
your pond and wild bird feeders become more attractive to many
types of scavengers. Fortunately, there are easy steps you can
take to prevent fish loss, and to ensure that feeders serve
their intended purpose. Most ponds should be protected with
netting in the fall, especially those with trees nearby. To be
effective, netting must be installed properly. To prevent the
build-up of leaves, it should be staked tightly across the
entire surface and elevated in the middle so the wind can sweep
leaves to the edges. A good way to do this is to float one or
more large balls in the pond. You can also set long wooden or
plastic stakes into submerged plants to prop up the netting, or
even tie it up if you h