Quote:
Originally Posted by Tracey015  This may seem a strange question but I want to know if anyone can give me an answer to my question as my partner is absolutely terrified of frogs. |
Let's start from the perspective that phobias are debilitating problems which need to be taken seriously - from which we have to conclude it is not unreasonable that your partner wants to live without a constant threat of having to face the object of his fear, and that the question therefore devolves to one of simple practicality.
Firstly there are some facts that need to be established - where are the frogs orginating ? Is the pond in your garden the only local breeding environment ? If there are other ponds or streams within several hundred metres of your garden then you will potentially be in the dispersal enviroment of any breeding population originating from those other water sources. UK frogs only spend a few months a year actually in water, the rest of the time they are feeding in moist shaded locations. Only if your pond is the only local water source will filling it in remove the frogs - and then it may take up to two years for the existing population to die out. And do you really want to drive an entire local population to extinction ?
It is certainly possible to make your garden unattractive to frogs, short of filling in the pond, though again this would be drastic action if it involves killing off the only local population. Putting a barrier around the pond would reduce the ability of the frogs to use it for breeding, errecting close board fencing with solidly fixed gravel boards all around your garden would limit access into your garden - though not just to frogs but any other smaller wildlife - hedgehogs etc. Removing the kind of habitat that frogs prefer - moist shaded cover - would make your garden even more unattractive to frogs.
Frankly the though, all of the above seems a huge effort for potentialy small returns and I'd have to agree with Kayleigh that if your partner could be persuaded to seek treatment for his phobia, not only would that be a far cheaper otion, it would probably be far more life affirming for both you and him, as well as the creatures in your garden.
CM