We have not seen any signs of frogs returning to our ponds yet here in Leicestershire, but there have been many other sightings of frog spawn in South West and central England. Maybe our frogs will not return this year?
The timing of their return is all dependent on the outside temperature and their survival through Winter.
You can encourage frogs by:
- Adding water to your garden - particularly in urban areas.
- Providing plenty of safe overwintering places for the frogs to hibernate in.
- Ensuring that your pond is part shaded and filled with appropriate pond plants to create the best breeding areas.
- Making the area around the pond a well planted habitat for protection as frogs journey to the water.
- Ponds should have shallow edges to allow frogs to get in and out of the pond easily.
- A shallow shelf is recommended so the female has a firm base to rest on during mating.
Frog spawn survival
- The more frogspawn laid the better as only around one in 50 eggs will survive to adulthood. Spawn and tadpoles are vulnerable to many things - frost and ice, newts and other wildlife swimming in the pond, birds visiting the water area.
- Cover the shallow shelf area with plant growth to create hiding spaces.
- Don’t move spawn or tadpoles into a different pond. This new pond may not have the right conditions for them to survive and there is also a risk of spreading disease.
- Feed young frog tadpoles with vegetable based Early Stage Tadpole Food.
- Have a supply of high protein Late Stage Tadpole Food ready for the older tadpoles when they have gained their back legs.
Seeing your first frogspawn is a sure sign of the arrival of Spring in your area.
For more details on frog spawn see our Tips and Advice page: How to help frogs spawn and survive in your pond.
