Did you hear the quackin'?
Like clockwork, these ducks show up every spring! It’s like they have a calendar and know exactly when spring begins. They plan their nesting spot in the same places as it was last year and the spaces they prefer to visit and hang out.
These ducks have been at our pond every spring for about 4 years. I took this picture just yesterday.
I love to watch the ducks! They preen, eat a bit and even nap right in our pond. The fish don’t seem to mind at all. While one naps the other will keep an eye out and they are often watching me to make sure I am not a threat.
Did you know?
Ducks (the kind we have here are Mallard ducks) nest each spring and lay from 1 to 13 eggs. Just because ducks are in your pond does not mean the nest is in your yard, but it could be!
They prefer to nest on dry ground where the vegetation, like grasses, hides them. They don’t want to broadcast where their nest is to potential predators. Their eggs take roughly 1 month to incubate before they hatch.
Are there any risks of them being in the pond?
There are some risks to be aware of with ducks in the pond. They likely will only stay 1 to 2 months, so don’t get too attached!
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- They can introduce parasites to your pond.
- They may eat very small fish (under 3 inches long)
- Now and then, they eat waterlilies that are just trying to sprout.
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How to mitigate risks of ducks in the pond.
It can be difficult to keep ducks out of a pond unless you have a dog outside every day. To make sure they aren’t causing your pond an issue, take these precautions:
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- Start adding beneficial bacteria to the pond weekly. We like to start with Microbe-Lift.
- If you see duck poop outside of the pond, clean it up like you would dog poop instead of letting rain wash it into the pond. Parasites can be in that duck poop!
- Do not feed the ducks. Nature is far better at offering the most healthy food for ducks.
- If you have fish that are under 3 inches long, you may want to shoo the ducks away!
- If you are serious about keeping ducks out of the pond, about the only want to do it is to net the pond until the end of April.
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