Frogs

<<one or two topped up their ponds with tap water>> don't kow what you mean.

Let's turn my question: I read that frogs do leave the pond at some times during the year, probably to hunt for more nutritional food, what are the clues that the frog is still around? that is if you do know about those amphibians?

Hi Patricia

Frogs activity is dictated by the weather. You can often find them moving around during wet periods, well away from ponds. If they are caught away from water during hot weather then they will simply hide in amongst vegetation, borders and long grass in gardens as well the nooks and crannies of log piles.

Filling up a pond with a hose can disturb it and the frogs often depart temproarily seeking an alternative refuge, this should not prevent them from returning in the future. If you can get a rain water supply via a water butt, that would be better than tap water for topping ponds up as the extra nutrients in tap water can lead to algal blooms.

Our pond is just a year old and already plays occasional host to frogs.  They come and go as they please: they are only water bound for spawning anyway and will find cool and damp laces away from the pond quite naturally.  We are really plesed with the impact the pond has had: Ringed China-mark moths, Broad Bodied Chaser, Common Blue and Large Red Dameselflies have all been watched laying eggs in the pond.

Whirligigs, Pond Skaters, Water Boatmen and Diving Beetles have populated it already: I have even seen Diving Beetle larvae and juvenile Water Boatman instars in there.  

Many thanks,

I do not what type they are but before the 2 small ponds I already had moths that seem to like my birds aviary at night.  They are very large, most of them velvet colour, seen a small red and yellow ones.  They seem to habit a conifers hedge.  I had to fight Chelmsford Council last year as a new house owner decided to build a block of flats in his side garden just next to my conifers hedge, but it was in vain and the guy built his block of bricks! But I called onto a company who came to feed those hedges (vitamins) before and after the built of the block which is only 1metre away from my hedges.  So this year I have less moths and butterflies flying around.

I purchased a hedgehog house, but unfortunately it is now the habitat of brown mice so I will need to think for a strategy to bring back the hedgehogs.

I do keep cockatiels and african greys in an outside aviary, I know what you are thinking mice and rats! but they are ok because my aviary is plastic cladded at the bottom, and at night I put in transparent plastic sheets (secondary windows), and most importantly in March and September I spray 'Mr Ratty' it does not kill and is organic and only start working after 1 week, it tells mice the danger is higher than the reward, I spray this powder around my birds aviary.

Around the Ponds I planted lots of ever green plants that grow well this year so the frog(s) do have lots of shade and refuge... as well as lots of snails.

Rather disappointingly, frogs never seem to sit on a lily pad like they're meant to in our garden, they hide up all over the place, so don't worry if you haven't seen them in the pond for a bit.  Best time to find them is after a bit of rain in the evening, when they'll often come out into the open a bit more.  I also find they tend to hop away at the last minute when you get too close with the weeding.  Don't 'alf make you jump!

They do use the pond occasionally

Before I frigthen it, I could see his little head popping out when it was sunny, I miss him.

But he has to be somewhere as I have much less snails and slugs.  The little pond he was in was very murky, I since have created another one with few floating plants in it but I know he is not in this other one because the water is very clear so I would be able to see him.

In winter do they hibernate in a pond?

Just found interesting facts about frogs: www.bbc.co.uk/.../483.shtml