Question
Something is getting into my atrium and taking my Koi!! I am down to just one left out of five! Just in the last week!! The atrium is totally closed off on all sides and has glass walls on 3 sides for viewing from the dining room and front hall the small pond and plants in it. The only way something could get in would be climbing down the yopon holy tree inside the atrium.  I want to replace my Koi but not until this mystery is solved.  What ever it is makes no noise at all. The only solid wall of the atrium is shared with our master bedroom and this always happens over night.  I was told we have a raccoon but wouldn't a raccoon make lots of noise climbing down and also leave tracks?  We've found no tracks at all in the mostly bare flower beds.  We do have possums about could they be getting my Koi.  I just don't know.  Please help!! I have been raising these fish for the last 5 years and to see them disappear has been very upsetting!!  Any help you can offer would be very much appreciated.  I used a net over the pond this year for the first time in the fall to keep excessive leaf debris from clogging the filter.  It worked great.  Should I put it back up to keep whatever out of the atrium?  Whatever it is could become tangled in it. Do raccoons or possums eat live fish?

Answer
Hi Russ,

There are a number of critters that could be getting your fish. I doubt that opossum are one.  Raccoon would be my top choice as a guess.  You don't say your location so the possiblities vary. Could be mink. They can get thru tiny openings and are notoriously quiet. Then maybe snakes, cats, rats, otter, weasel, birds, etc.  You may want to look up the tracks eack of these make. They all will take and eat live fish. It might even currently be holed up in your atrium.  The only way you can prevent all of the possibilities is sealing the area thoroughly, including any way to dig in. Raccoon are strong and can rip open anything less than 1" mesh poultry wire netting. Welded wire "hardware cloth" is better. Be sure the seams are sturdy wire laced.

If you identify the problem as definitely raccoon, I make electronic deterrents that should discourage them away. It wouldn't help with others like snakes.

http://www.freewebs.com/walnut_creek_enterprises/

Dan