Springtime Frogspawn

[coasty]

Every year I take surplus frogspawn from my pond and spread it among the ponds and ditches nearby. Then every year when its all gone I invariably meet someone who has just dug a pond and is desperate for some. How about people noting on here if they will have surplus and their area. So people with new ponds can contact them and take some to avoid taking from the wild areas?...

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by coasty

Every year I take surplus frogspawn from my pond and spread it among the ponds and ditches nearby. Then every year when its all gone I invariably meet someone who has just dug a pond and is desperate for some. How about people noting on here if they will have surplus and their area. So people with new ponds can contact them and take some to avoid taking from the wild areas?...

I'm not sure there is such a thing as a surplus, these things usually strike a balance in the end, and areas with no spawn are usually like that for a reason. With regard to new ponds, it really its better to wait for the frogs to come by themselves, as then there is clearly adjacent habitat that is suitable to support them outside of the breeding season - otherwise there's a risk that you are raising a legion of froglets that leave the pond only for the vast majority to struggle to survive due to lack of food or shelter in the area.

You might want to avoid moving spawn about as frogs do suffer quite badly from a variety of diseases and there is a risk in transferring disease along with the spawn (or from the ditches/ponds back to your own pond if your bucket touches the water)- although if it is the immediate locality the frogs probably move between the sites anyway so I guess its less of an issue then.