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just a quick question i made a pond at the end of last year and have spotted today sum frog spawn in my pond will ducks eat this as i have 2 ducks which show up quite regularly. just want to know if i need to stop ducks getting to my pond any help welcome please :)
From my limited experience, the ducks will eat anything. At my previous house, two ducks appeared one day and we thought 'aah, how sweet - we've got ducks'. Within two days, there was nothing left in the pond!
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thanks dave does anyone know how to keep the ducks away with out me getting the air rifle out ??
Naughty word air rifle.
The reason why frogs lay so much spawn is that most of the tadpoles are eaten by preditors, some survive.
RAY
a good laugh is better than a tonic
Hoping the air rifle comment was meant as a joke (it's an offence under the wildlife and countryside act 1981 to kill, injure or take wild birds).
Ray is right frogspawn is a vital food source for lots of other pond dwellers and frogs produce a huge excess to ensure that some survive. In most cases the next generation of frogs develop even with predation by ducks so the best thing to do would be to leave well alone. The ducks may take some but thats nature!
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sorry only just found your reply @ your 1981 act etc are you forgeting there is a duck shooting season ??? check dates at www.basc.org.uk/.../shooting-seasons.cfm ..... i would never shoot illegally although my original comment was to find a way to avoid shooting the ducks i would in the right season.
Perhaps you could lay a wire mesh above the water. This is wot I have seen done on most ponds.
Take care all, Stich.
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@stich would than stop frogs and newts getting in the water ??
Na, won't stop frogs. Like doggie says,it needs to be about 4 inches above th water. I've never seen a duck that short, lol.
Unknown said:sorry only just found your reply @ your 1981 act etc are you forgeting there is a duck shooting season ??? check dates at www.basc.org.uk/.../shooting-seasons.cfm ..... i would never shoot illegally although my original comment was to find a way to avoid shooting the ducks i would in the right season
Hi, have a look at the BASC advice about legitimate quarry for air rifles - wildfowl are not suitable even during the appropriate season so that is not an option to consider i'm afraid.
http://www.basc.org.uk/en/codes-of-practice/air-rifles.cfm
Maybe you could get a jetspray system or some visual bird scarers although I don't think you would need to deter mallards from a wildlife pond, any damage they do will be short lived.