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Frogspawn 2013

Hi, thought it might be interesting to see the spread of frogspawn across the country in our ponds. Here in Greater London/Essex it arrived today - 9 clumps so far. I wonder how much of it will survive given the forecast for the weekend and into next week!

Anyone else with any frogspawn yet?

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Posts

  • FloBearFloBear Posts: 2,281

    East Dorset, mine was first spotted last weekend. It's a very sheltered pond and always has early spawn - this is later than usual. As the pond is quite small I can lay wire netting across and cover with an old sheet to keep the frost off.

  • clogherheadclogherhead Posts: 506

    Hi , On my allotment  i have a very small pond  it holds about 5 gallons of water, in the next field there is a real pond with frogs spawn in it , what I would like to do is to get some of the spawn and put in to mine ,the idea being for the tadpoles to become frogs and so eat any snails and slugs on my plot , is it a worthwhile project or should i leave enough alone ,the pond tends to dry out in summer .

    Derek

  • Here in mid Wales we have no frog spawn in our pond at all yet, last year it came in February so seems a bit late. Maybe the frogs are waiting for better weather!

  • FloBearFloBear Posts: 2,281

    Derek, amphibians like frogs only need water to spawn in - and some hibernate at the bottom of a pond if it's deep enough. If your 5 gal. pond will last until early summer - June/July - that should be enough time for the froglets to emerge. I'd say it's worth a try if you want to give it a go. However, once out they will wander off wherever they like and when big enough, may find prey on anyone's plot. It would be surprising if you don't already have frogs on the allotment that wander in from the pond in the next field. They need cool damp places to hide in. Unlikely that they'll be able to eat enough to rid you of your slugs and snails, though image

  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    clogherhead; you need to check on a wild life site; am not sure you are allowed to move frog's spawnimage

  • FloBearFloBear Posts: 2,281

    Good idea, artjak. I think it's OK if the landowner gives permission. I used to take a little batch to school from my pond for the Reception class teachers.

  • clogherheadclogherhead Posts: 506

    Hi Flobear, artjak ,thanks it's just an idea I will contact my local wildlife service

    Derek

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Derek, if there are frogs spawning in the pond in the field next door then I'm sure you already have plenty of frogs on the allotments - they spend most of their year in long damp undergrown and travel quite a way back to their spawning ponds.  They're mainly nocturnal - I bet if you're on your allotment at sunrise in midsummer you'll see plenty - the allotment is probably also on the regular round of your local heron who will know exactly where to find frogs first thing in the morning image

    If your pond dries out in the summer then it's unlikely to have the necessary plantlife and little invertebrates that  provide tadpoles with the right food to reach adulthood.  Also, if conditions are not right some tadpoles remain as tadpoles and do not metamorphose until the following year, so if the pond dried they would perish image  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • My frogs returned on March 8 - nearly a fortnight late compared with previous years, but the frogspawn was there by the morning of the 9th so they certainly got busy! Sadly pond frozen over and covered with snow now - presumably they can survive for a while.  I'm sure this has happened before.  Can't wait for a balmy mild day to hear them all singing!

  • We are on The Wirral and have had a pond since 2000. We have kept a note on the calendar on the day each year the frog spawn arrived. This year is the second latest. The latest being 2010 when it arrived on March 15th. The eariest was 2011 on Feb 24th. It is now under a layer of ice so fingers crossed it survives.

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