SNAP!! First frogspawn this morning too, you just beat me to the computer! Looking back, this is a week later than 2005 and 2006. And it has been very very mild in Devon (we didn't get the snow bit of the storms last week, just the stormy bit). Expect once it has started it will be major partying out there for the next week...when frogs party do they...karycroakie? Sorry.

Have found that covering the spawn at night when the weather approaches 0, with couple layers of bubble wrap has protected them well from frost--hardly lost any last year despite the pond freezing over for at least 7 or 8 nights.

Chip

Thanks for bubblewrap info, Chip.

I split the frogspawn from 13th. February into two lots, one of which I've got in a pedalbinliner. The other half has now been joined by another five lots. I've not seen so much before in my pond, but I only built it four years ago. The pond's 9'x 8.'

This load of frogspawn was laid partly over a floating plant and is subsequently above water level in places. Do I need to move it so that it's all submerged?

Big Kid

Congratulations! Your taddies from the first year have become old enough to have taddies of their own! (At least that was my conclusion by the explosion of spawn after year 4 and considering how old a frog has to be to breed).

I wouldn't worry about the spawn sticking up, it should be fine as long as there is water for it to sink into underneath when the time comes to hatch. Being above the water is a problem if the pond freezes as that will be the most exposed.

It has been very mild, as mine are now crescent shaped already and even some that has been in deeper water seems to be progressing. There is so much spawn I didn't bother taking some out to 'bring on' as they seem to be doing pretty well without my intervention.

The croaking has now stopped, but I keep going out there expecting to find a poor dead female frog. I think she is a bit young but got caught by a bigger male frog (usually its the other way around) who has been hanging on for over a week waiting for her to produce eggs. Now that the frenzy has stopped I keep hoping he will lose his obsession. Did catch them to separate them but he was on like glue and didn't want to add to her trauma. Hard not to get a bit anthropromorphic about it all.

Anyway, hoping to see if the toads will be next--there were so many toadlets in the garden last year that I was sure they had spawned in my pond---but toad spawn is so much harder to spot. I'll be looking though.

Best wishes with the ones in and out of the bucket! What do you feed the bucket ones on?

Hi again, Chip. Looks like we're the only ones out there in UKgardenweb cyberspace!

You've obviously been at this ponding lark for a lot longer than me and it's great to read all the news and info.

I envy you your toads!! I wish I had some. I know the spawn is like tickatape (don't know how you spell that!) because I saw some a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I've no way of getting any for my pond. Do you think they'd survive the postal system? Only kidding!!

The reason I used a pedalbin liner rather than a bucket is because it lets the light through. I'd seen the taddies eating the algae off the pond liner when I first had them given to me. I watched them doing the same to the pedalbin liner and so I decided to leave them alone and not clean it out. I used water from the pond ( kept up to the top so they could escape) and I had Elodea Crispa and Hornwort for oxygenating. I kept adding to the Elodea from stuff in the pond, so I don't know if taddies eat it or not. Then I let them get on with it in their mini world. They all grew legs and hopped it except one which was still there in November. I don't know if this one finally decided to grow limbs or whether it died and went to that great pond in the sky. It was sad when I had a good look a few weeks ago and couldn't see it any more. Does anyone know the record for a taddy finally getting legs or was mine a contender for the Guinness Book of Records?
Big Kid

My frogs are returning to the pond but so far only the croaking has been going on. No frogspawn as yet. Only about a dozen or so are back at the moment. I find that the juveniles seem to arrive first and then the older generation will arrive in a week or so. I had 51 frogs return for spawning last year so here's hoping it is even better this year.
Alison

Here is a link that might be useful: Alisons pond and garden

You've done well to get them to hopping out stage--they are obviously thriving! I have heard that tadpoles can take up to a year to get their legs depending upon temperature, competition for food and probably a bit of genetics as well. So they end being giant tadpoles! Bet that would stop a dragonfly nymph in their tracks!

When we moved into the house we were fortunate as there did seem to be a few toads (only noticed when moving rocks). When we built the pond we were surprised as there were frogs about we never knew were there, and also newts found their way in quickly. Where they were all that time I don't know but they were obviously somewhere in the garden. The toads I only see at night when I'm and as the individuals are so distinctive and in the high summer there are a couple who sleep in the pond during the day. I know they go to a lake about 1/2 mile away to breed in the past. It is possible to count them and know you are not seeing the same one over and over again. So who knows, they may be in your garden, but you just don't know....!

I am tempted though to import some toad spawn if I find some nearby. The only toadspawn I have ever seen was in the garden of a nearby Catholic Abbey in their herb garden rill--what a tangle. I had fantasies of liberating the spawn but the thought of sneaking into the garden in the middle of the night and getting caught by monks (or hit by a thunderbolt) put me off really!

Devon must be a lot warmer than Yorkshire--our spawn is hatching only after 3 weeks (usually its much longer). And no dead female frog either, so she must have got away. Whoopee!

The newts are gathering now, but there is so much water starwort that they are hard to see but I think they feel much better with the starwort. I've never seen any baby newts (newtpoles?) but unlike tadpoles they are harder to spot. I am going out though each night with a torch to peer into the deeper water to see if anything newt like or toad like is happening.

Anyway, hopefully by continuing to show our enthusiasm for wildlife ponding, it will encourage others to take the leap who are just beginning to think about ponds of their own.

Chip

I've just moved house and inherited a small garden pond - v excited to get frogspawn. There are two or three large clumps on the top with tadpoles about to hatch. However, several clumps have broken off and sunk to the bottom of the pond. Is it dead? Should I remove it? or will the tadpoles feed on it? Advice greatly received as I'm a complete novice at this.

Many thanks
Sheena

Lucky you! It is fun to watch, and really, just let them get on with it. This year I noticed that the ones that sunk actually did hatch too, I think because overall the pond was warmer this year. Whatever happens, they will gradually eat the stuff. They do eat constantly! Go out at night with a torch, and you will see some of what really lives in your pond.

When they get their legs, they will need to safely be able to get out of the pond and live on land for awhile (or they drown). So make sure they can get out of the pond, and not onto paving slabs (poor things are so delicate they stick to the slabs and fry). The froglets are quite amazing (tiny perfect frogs) and will need to find shelter under plants, rocks, etc. For awhile you will be spending your time in the garden looking down before each step!!

Only 4 in 1000 will make their way to adulthood to spawn themselves. So you can never have too much frogspawn, and anything you can do will help! They start off as algae eaters, but later become carnvivourous and will eat one another. Mostly everyone else eats them including newts & frogs, dragonfly nymphs, but they do survive. Bigger fish though much their way through a lot of tadpoles.

There are some really good information websites on frogs and other pond life--just google and you will find! The bugs are incredible too, like the caddis fly larvae and their amazing houses, and damselflies and dragonflies. The latter leave their papery perfect exoskeletons behind on leaves before they fly off.

So welcome to the wonderful world of ponding. You may find yourself making a second, bigger pond....

Chip

Many thanks for the prompt reply. Will leave everything as it is and see what happens. So looking forward to things happening and then maybe adding some fish. Will take your advice about the torch and let you know.

Cheers
Sheena

hi we just found frogspawn in our pond we were clesning it out but we decided to just clean up the water because they were there, anyway there are loads but this morning we noticed a small white dot inside them we are not sure what this is can anybody help?
thanks

I've read from others that white dots mean infertile spawn, but I'd leave it be for others to munch on.

I had one clump of all-white spawn last year after I saw a pink frog mating with an ordinary one. I transferred it to a bucket indoors, but it all seemed to disintegrate while I was away for a week. I discovered a water hog-louse in there when I cleaned it out and I don't know if that creature ate into the spawn or not or whether it would have happened anyway. I was sooooooooooo disappointed because I was hoping I would end up with a bucket full of pink taddies and I could apply to the Guinness Book of Records!!!
Big Kid

Hi all good to see so much interest in frogs. I have reworked my garden as a wildlife habitat with three small ponds one of which I was given by a relation with three frog occupants, sex unknown. I have not seen them since is it likely they are still around? Have had no frogspawn is it too late for this year. I thought heard repeated croaking yesterday 17th may (three notes in succesion)is this a male calling a female?
I have tried various local ponds to find frogspawn with no luck yet has anyone in Staffordshire got any to spare or knows of any in the wild. Have containers, will travel.
thanks in advance Tony

Hi,
You're too late for frogspawn this year. You may still find som tadpoles if you pond dip a friend's pond- but you should be aware of the dangers of bringing in disease from another pond.
Some of my frogs stay in and around the pond, others disperse and hunt on land.
Next year they should all arrive at spawning time in February.
Try popping out in the dark with a torch to see if you can see any. You need to be quiet and sneaky as they will duck under the water if you disturb them.

Can anyone solve this small mystery for me please?

I have a very recently created small pond with a couple of marginal plants, a small waterlily and an oxygenating plant. The water is clear and there is some life in there already. What is puzzling me are number of tiny tadpole like creatures which have arrived as if from nowhere. There has been no frogspawn. They are smaller than tadpoles but swim in a similar way.

can anyone identify them ?

Thank you

Maybe mosquito larvae or similar.

I have frogspawn on my decking this morning and don't know what to do with it.
I had a frog in my utility room last week but have no pond

If you can find a bucket of rainwater, put it in there, and transport it to a local pond. After that, it will have to fend for itself.....If no rainwater is to be had (which on the face of it, given our recent weather is pretty incredible!) then use tap water, but get them out of there ASAP.

Oh Good grief, I've just noticed the date. How did this thread make it to the top of the 'view this thread' pile - ?! What a doofus I am....!