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Sun, Mar 20, 11 at 19:37
| 3 years ago we built a pond (45'x90')it is 12' deep at its deepest. The pond is lined with a poly liner covered with several inches of sand. In the shallow end we have some reeds, cattails, and lillies. The pond is stocked with catfish and bass. Fearing for the frogs and tadpoles, last year we built a 2'x20' swamp area beside the pond. There is an overflow pipe connecting the 2 areas (netted to keep large fish out). The swamp is also lined with poly. The swamp is 18" at its deepest 10" in the shallow areas, the bottom has very little mud.
4 weeks ago we found 4 large softball sized frogs dead in the swamp. We assume that since they could not burrow in the liner, they froze to death. Can anyone offer any advice on how to manage the swamp to keep this from happening again? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by greenthumbzdude 6 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 20, 11 at 23:10
| instead of using a liner you could use clay. You would have to get the special type thats called bentonite. I believe its powdery and it expands when water hits it. The frogs would then be able to burrow down into it. In addition I would make the pond deeper its sounds like the pond froze down to bottom (3-4 feet is ideal). Also if you want to make a really great frog habitat make sure there is plenty of vegation and sticks in the water for them to hide out in and to lay their eggs on. |
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- Posted by chemgeekponder 6-7 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 21, 11 at 5:58
| Last year, I found 5 dead frogs in my pond after the winter thaw. Last fall, I left several pots, containing soil, but no plants, submerged in the pond (as well as many plant filled pots). So far, this spring, I have not found any dead frogs, and actually heard 2-3 of them "singing" the other night. Hopefully, unless we get another blast of winter that freezes the pond, I won't have a frog kill this spring. This pond, at the deepest level, is 4' deep. I have a second, tiny pond that I was going to clean out this past weekend, but found that it already has toad? eggs in it. |
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- Posted by greenthumbzdude (My Page) on Mon, Mar 21, 11 at 12:06
| toads dont breed this time of year they are most likely spring peeper or wood frog eggs. |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 21, 11 at 14:49
| I agree that you need to put pots of soil in the bottom of your swamp. You could also sink some quilt batting down there, which does a good job of insulating them. Also, if you had any wide swings of temperatures this winter, that could have killed them. If it gets nice and warm too soon, they come out of hibernation and then don't have time to slow down their metabolism before it gets really cold again. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do for that. But do put pots with soil and quilt batting down for them next year. |
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