pond newts

[Shadow]

I set up a little pond at the top of my garden because I really am interested in herps such as newts. When I say little, I dont mean little little, it's a small-average size. Anyway I set it up about 2 months ago and have had nothing, besides a dead rat.
It has no filteration and there is no fish in there. It has a big reed plant at the side.

I am located in Solihull area, if anyone knows it. I am starting to think that I will never see a newt.



BTW: I will post pictures of my pond tomoz to see if it's the right enviroment.

Thanks, Joe

[Jez]

You may never get newts?? But I hope you do!!! I'd like to see what our resident newt lover Kayleigh has to say on the matter of them finding there way to your new pond! I wish you well with it Shadow.

Best wishes

Jez

[djackso]

I read they like a pond that catches the evening light.

I have no idea if this is true though, but I made sure mine did, as best I could.

Do you know of any neighbours with ponds and/or newts?

[Kayleigh]

Hi Shadow,

I'm sure if there are newts in the area then they will find you. I would love Grass Snakes and Slow Worms but as with all wildlife it chooses you and the habitat....
Make sure there are areas left untouched ie grass left to grow, log piles undergrowth ect.

Newts need plants to lay eggs on so make sure you provide them.
Mine use Lagarosiphon Major (Elodea Crispa) to lay their eggs on and it keeps the water clean too being an oxygenator.
Be patient and see what turns up. I think the common newt likes a shady pond..

hope this helps.

[marvin]

hi

if you only set your pond up two months ago it may be that all the newts in your area were already in their breeding ponds. you might have to wait until next spring now but if it's the right environment i'm sure they'll find it.

tim

[Lacerta]

Hi

I went through a similar situation a few years ago when I set up a pond, didn't get a thing in the first year, the second year we had 1 newt arrive, a lonely male Smooth Newt, personally this was a result as far as I was concerned, the year after that I counted at least a dozen in a single afternoon, so there were probably more and we now know there are both Smooth and Palmate Newts breeding.

I think it is more likely that you will see something next year now as Tim rightly points out.

In the meantime it is worth seeding the pond with mud from another so all the other creatures can get established i.e daphne and other invertebrates, everything else will arrive on its own accord.

Like to hear how you get on!

regards

Heath

[SpitwolF]

Newts are attracted to Algal decay, so it will take a while for them to come you just need to be patient.

I made my pond just over a year ago, got one Smooth Newt in it and then it disappeared, never had any in there since to my knowledge you may be more lucky.

[newponder]

I have just discovered what a think is a young newt in my 2 yr-old pond (a design disaster pond as it balloons everytime we have heavy rain and pushes out at least a third of the water!!) We have hundreds of taddys and last night, by torch-light i spotted this little gold-ish looking creature which i am assuming is a newt! I have also dragged out dragon fly larvae when removing pond-weed and found casings from their hatchings>

It seems to me that despite my ponds lack of stability it is attracting all sorts of life - however if i hadnt just glanced in the pond with my torch whilst slug-hunting i would never have known it was there - how do all you others get to spot them?? Are there tell-tale signs?

A novice - Andrea

[marvin]

newts can be more active at night so torchlight is a good way to see them. get a pic if you can and post it here for an id.

cheers
tim