new pond advice please!

[madmum]

Having discussed ,and dismissed , the idea of getting some ducks to add to our menagerie!!!We have decided to make a pond in my daughters part of the garden,which is mainly laid to paving and would be where we would put ducks if we got them at a later date.My mother has a very small fairly shallow pond at the opposite end of the garden which is very overgrown but is the site of much frog activity at the moment.We would use a preformed liner so that if we did later get ducks they would not destroy the lining,but if we transported some weed and frogspawn from the old pond would the froglets then come back to where they were hatched or where they were "created "?

[Grannyof4]

You should NOT move frog spawn.

[jannie]

The reason for not moving frogspawn is to prevent the spread of Chytrid disease. This is a fungas disease which infects the skin of amphibians.
As you are moving it to an area which is part of the same metapopulation you are ok . Make sure you use clean gloves to handle as both nets and the salts in your skin are harmful to frogspawn and young amphibians.. Please do not remove frogspawn from the wild as Chytrid disease is threatening our native populations..but any extensions of existing garden populations can only be a good thing.

[madmum]

As i say the spawn will only be moved from one pond in the same garden to another to allow more room for the frogs so that we do not harm them when spring cleaning the old pond.there would be plenty of weeds and water from the old pond to establish an ecosystem in the new pond ,they would not be moved by hand but using a bucket and as gently as possible.Thanks for the heads up on Chytrid i did not think it would be a problem in such a small area but will take it on board

[jannie]

Increasing the population of your garden frogs and newts is a positive thing to do..

[Grannyof4]

Yes it is a good thing to do but moving also involves a very high fatality rate.

[madmum]

Mmmmm .I think the chickens ,dogs and cat add to the mortality rate too!!! I think we will get the pond sorted and see what happens when its done.

[jannie]

Yes it is a good thing to do but moving also involves a very high fatality rate.

Providing new habitat within your garden will give far higher survival rates than the alternative..having to cross a road to breed..
I belong to an organisation of volunteers and we are well on our way to saving 40000 frogs from being killed on the roads http://www.froglife.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stace]

Madmum you can only do whats best for you at the time, lets hope the frogs are ok, as thanks to jannie i have learnt alot from this post

[manda]

Interesting - I'd never heard of Chytrid.will have to go and have a google