Forum home› Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Talkback: Frogspawn

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
I have just looked in our pond which is just a narrow strip of water edged with red bricks with various stones and plants at each end. I saw what I thought was some horrible gunge and assumed it was caused by my ducks getting into the pond last summer as they made it very dirty.I have looked again and feel sure it is frogspawn or toads. I only have vague childhood memories of frogspawn. We certainly have had toads. Any ideas?
«1345

Posts

  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    In the autumn I made the mistake of netting mine to prevent leaves dropping in. However, one morning I found a hedgehog which hadn't been unable to unravel itself... I cannot ever think about it without feeling sick. Please remove your netting!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I found the post by richard jones re wrestling with frogs spawn a little but worrying.surely he would have been kinder to let the spawn hatch naturally and then catch some tadpoles to let the children rear.frogs are already in decline and messing about with their spawn isnt going to help things improve.please richard,leave wild life alone!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I live in Windsor and dug my pond (9' dia) last May and put fish in it in June and have since had baby fish (don't know if they've survived the winter as they didn't appear until September). About 2 weeks ago I could see the surface of the pond was moving and went to investigate to find 4 sets of frogs on the surface (it's netted). A day later i noticed loads of frog spawn and lo and behold they came back again last week and laid some more. You can see the tiny tadpoles being to move in the first lot of spawn. I was so excited, as my pond is new, that wildlife have moved in.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We have had a pond in our garden in Lancashire for two years now and have increasing amounts of wildlife visiting. This year we have an extraordinary amount of frogspawn. At one point we had over 50 frogs in just one 'corner' of the pond. I wonder why they are so active this year?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We usually had frog-spawn in early March when living in South London. This year in Salisbury we had the first spawn on January 22nd.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We live near Stroud in Gloucestershire and, like Claire, I noticed that the frogs had returned and laid their spawn. We have had our pond for about ten years now and always know each year when the frogs have returned by the sound of their nightime chorus of squawking and croaking. Our two dogs are very interested but have more sense than to touch either the slimey frogs or their spawn. My seven year old son is fascinated by the fact that the frogspawn that he has been looking after indoors has fully developed into tadpoles yet outside they are still just 'commas in jelly'.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    What is this I've heard on the grapevine about a disease of frogs? Is there a disease and what can we expect to see or not to see as a result?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We have only a small garden pond but we back onto RSPB nature reserve ground in Weymouth, Dorset. 3 weeks ago my wife and I watched 6 huge frogs helping each other to squeeze out each others spawn. There is masses of it. We now have thousands of small tadpoles swimming about and its not the end of March yet. Also the Blackthorn is in flower - this is usually an early May event.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Better to move frog spawn to a pond where they are more likely to develop, then leave them somewhere where their chances are zero!!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Last year, for the first time in the 20 years of having my pond, I had some frog spawn but unfortunately it all 'died'. Is it because it wasn't fertilized? I have some more this year and a larger amount. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. A neighbour a few houses away recently sold her house and the new occupants filled in her pond. She used to get loads of frogs so I'm hoping they'll all move to me.
Sign In or Register to comment.