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No frogs again

Auntie EAuntie E Posts: 39
in Wildlife gardening
For the last few years, my frog and toad population has disappeared.  I have looked on the internet and read that there is a virus which is killing them.  Have any members here any experience of this, and would you advise obtaining frogspawn from another pond in the area.  I live in Devon, my son who lives in Sussex has loads of spawn and my sister in Cambridgeshire also has frogspawn.  My cousin who lives a few miles from me has some spawn, but not as much as she would usually have, so what is wrong,  Help please.
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  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    I have frogs but no spawn . I wonder if the frogs are not comfortable spawning in my pond as the neighbourhood cats all seem to drink from it as do foxes and other nighttime critters .Have concluded that my ponds too busy for them although they overwinter in and around it . Is this the case with yours perhaps .
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    I'd be very careful about importing frog spawn from another pond as you can never be sure whether you are bringing in disease.
    If you have a Wildlife Trust or similar local to your area, it's always a good idea to contact them and seek info/advice re the Frog/Toad situation.  They may even be able to suggest a clean source for you.
    Good luck because they are wonderful creatures  :)
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    edited March 2023
    We don't have any frogspawn in my or my brothers wildlife ponds yet but I'd be very surprised if we didn't get any. It's still March so although some find it earlier, we don't normally see it until a little later. The frogs are there and croaking away so I'm sure ours will come soon. So I wouldn't be completely put off yet.

    Frogspawn can also sink in deeper ponds to a point where it can't be seen. So you might have some and not know it.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Our frogs spawned on the 31st January so they’re all hatched out now despite the pond freezing for a few nights.  The surface is black with them,  lucky if you get one make it to a frog though,  newts and dragon fly larvae will eat them. 
    I don’t think a busy pond puts them off,  nothing puts a male frog off if you’ve every heard the racket they make.😀

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • AnguisFragilisAnguisFragilis Posts: 95
    Don’t move spawn around. There are too many catastrophic infections and invasive plant species which can be transferred unintentionally. The other thing to remember is that frogs are terrestrial animals. Of the terrestrial habitat isn’t suitable (read rough) or connected to areas with populations then you won’t have them in your ponds.
  • Auntie EAuntie E Posts: 39
    Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.  I haven't seen any frogs or toads in my garden now for four years.  I have checked the pond and it seems ok.  I am at a crossroads as to what to do, but will try and contact the local Wildlife Trust in this area to get more advice.  I do miss the frogs, at one time I had frogs and toads everywhere.
  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    Maybe you have newts, they eat frogspawn.
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
  • Auntie EAuntie E Posts: 39
    Sadly I haven't any newts either, when I used to have dozens of them, a mystery!
  • LilyWLilyW Posts: 41
    I have newts but no frogs. Wish it was the other way around. I didn’t know it was an either or situation!
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    I have two types of newt, common and palmate, and no frogspawn so far this year and only a little in past years.
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
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