Washing up dish 'pond'

[Leanne1]

Hello, this is my first post to this really interesting forum.

This morning, I discovered an old plastic washing up bowl which I left in the garden undergrowth last year. It's now full of water and brimming with tiny oval shaped creatures, most of which have 'whip'-like tails. There are about 2,000 of them, they're free-swimming and a medium brown in colour. The body itself is about 2mm long.

After doing a net image search, I've come to the conclusion that they're not tadpoles or midge/mosquito larvae - yet they're swimming in the same way that tadpoles do! Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

[Hedge Witch]

I don't suppose you could take a photo for us? Or post a drawing.

I wonder how these creatures are breathing. If they are free-swimming and not rising to the surface to breath (like many creatures that survive in small bodies of water such as yours) then do they have visible gills?

[ron1863]

They could possibly be Mosquito Larvae

[Hedge Witch]

Leanne1 says not though, which is confusing. They certainly sound right for this

[Leanne1]

ron1863 and Hedge Witch - I think you're right. The little blighters have grown a lot since I last looked at them at 9am!

We also have frogs in the garden - will they eat these larvae?

[Hedge Witch]

Mosquito larvae and rat-tailed maggots, by the looks of things