Great created newts must go!
helenwest
Posts: 3
I have had a gardener in today to clear the back garden of the house I just moved into. There is a pond which we thought was empty when he quoted to clear the garden two weeks ago, but is now teeming with life! He has identified some great crested newts amongst all the frogs and frogspawn, so we are obviously not going ahead with filling in the pond today as we had planned. However, the habitat around the pond has now been destroyed - they were working for hours before the pond was even accessible! Also, between my dog and the baby I am about to have, I really would prefer not to have a pond... Can anyone recommend some one who could come and rescue the newts? I'm based in Wollaton, nottingham. I've left a message with Attenborough nature reserve, too.
Hope someone can help!
Helen
Posts
Contact your local Wildlife Trust for advice - you can find their contact details via this site
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/your-local-trust
You'll also find important information here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/great-crested-newts-protection-surveys-and-licences
Gt Crested Newts are protected by law, and you need to get the right advice before doing anything more.
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks! They aren't answering their phones so I have emailed them. Will the newts survive a few days in a pond without any greenery around it? Will they be able to climb out up the vertical edges of the pond to breathe?
Cheers,
Helen
Newts are surprisingly resourceful - although somewhat stupid - they regularly crossed our tarmac yard tried to hibernate under our coconut door matting in our old mill house - inevitably some got squidged
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If you can put a sloping plank in the pond to make a sort of gangway, or even lay an old piece of carpet or underlay, or sacking or old clothing into the pond so that they can climb up and out that'd be good.
But for goodness sake be careful and don't topple in - you're probably a bit easily overbalanced at the moment!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As Pansy says, you should provide them with plank or some stones they can use to climb out or they'll drown. You need expert advice before doing anything else to the pond or the newts.
Ramp in place, and waiting on a call back from various conservation groups and the wildlife trust. ITa a shame they chose my pond; they are totally wasted on me!
Thanks for all the help and advice.
Why do you need to move them? If they are great crested newts, they are heavily protected, as are all newts. Great crested newts are large, the crest on the males stops at the end of the back and then starts again along the tail.If the crest on them is continuous, then they're smooth newts. Anything over 5 inches long and it's likely to be GCN. They will get to 7 inches. Smooth newts are about 4 in max.
H-C,
Pic attached, for info. if you need more!
H-C
GCN Female, note the black warty skin
If something has legal protection , it doesn't matter if they're " wasted on you". I've had friends with bats in their attic. They , like you , weren't keen but the law is there for a reason.
There have been lots of threads concerning " child safe" ponds on the forum. Steel grills etc. All is not lost.
I'm not sure you can just decide you don't want them. I think there would have to be a good reason to move them because of their very high protection status. Certainly that's true with bats. Better to find a way to live alongside them if you can
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Is there no way you would consider incorporating the pond into your garden plans? Would work out cheaper & it'll attract frogs as well which will help keep your garden a slug free zone, so you can grow plants with ease. Presuming your child will have supervision out there when older, what about a type of fencing around it? Kids love to learn about nature and newts are a rare treat to have in your own back garden.