We have not seen any signs of frogs returning to the ponds yet in Leicestershire, but there have been sightings of frog spawn in the South West and central England. The timing of their return is all dependent on the outside temperature.
You can encourage frogs by:
- Providing water in your garden – particularly in urban areas.
- Ensuring that your pond is part shaded and filled with appropriate pond plants to create the best breeding areas.
- The area around the pond should be a well planted habitat too.
- 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 the better as only around one in 50 eggs laid will survive to adulthood. They are vulnerable to many things – frost and ice, newts and other wildlife swimming in the pond, birds visiting the water area.
- 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 diseases.
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.