Anyone built their own frog ramp?

[Becky]

We were feeding the fishes earlier today when we noticed a frog in our pond! We were a little surprised, because we have a net on there all the time, and he's looks a little too big to fit through the gaps. Anyhow, we want to put something in place so that the little fella can get in and out ok. We have an overhanging raised lip to our pond, and given the fact that it is also covered in net, there is no way frogs could get out without some assistance.

We're thinking that a little ramp leading from the water to an enlarged hole in the net would be the best solution. We've got some old plastic gutter guards which might work well, but I was just wondering whether anyone else here has made their own solution to this problem? I'd love to hear about it if you have!

 

[tbendl]

I don't have a ramp but any picture of the area you want to build it at? I'm sure we can brainstorm!

 

[Mmathis]

I agree with Tbendl, can you post a picture? And how big of a frog are you talking about?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I have my pond netted too but the net is attached to a pcv frame which sits on the rocks around the border of the pond. It leaves enough open spots for the frogs to come and go as they please but still keep the fish protected from hungry birds.

I also added a piece of driftwood which lays on the ground outside the pond but goes into the pond to the plant shelf. I figured that way it would be easier for them to climb out instead of trying to get out around the sides of the pond. Mind you, I have never seen them using the driftwood "ladder" but then again I haven't seen them jump out of the pond either

 

[Mmathis]

@bettasngoldfish I would like to see pictures of yours! Still trying to come up with a good system for netting.

@Becky Something like this?

 

[HARO]

In the past I've used a simple piece of cedar 1x6 about 16" long. One end rests on the side, while the other floats in the water. For what it's worth, I've never seen a frog using the ramp, only toads.
John

 

[tbendl]

Frog's are just more ninja like. They use it when you aren't looking.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

@Mmathis I can post a picture when I'm at home (working right now) It's not the most attractive thing but it works to keep my fish safe and to keep stuff from the trees falling in the pond and making a huge mess.

I have toads visiting my pond and they do tend to need some help getting out of the pond or they end up drowning (learned that the hard way) I have a floating aquarium log that I Ieave in the pond for the toads so they can get up out of the water. Plus I think having the plant shelf with the potted plants gives them a place nearer to the dry ground so they can get out of the pond too. I have seen them sitting in a pot just hanging out.

 

[Mmathis]

@Mmathis I can post a picture when I'm at home (working right now) It's not the most attractive thing but it works to keep my fish safe and to keep stuff from the trees falling in the pond and making a huge mess.

Great! Nothing I come up with is attractive, but if it gets the job done, that's what counts! Not too concerned with frogs & toads as they do OK on their own, but I'm just waiting for the day Mr. GBH finds my pond......

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I actually put up a temporary ramp beside our pond to help our frogs get back into the pond. Our frogs would climb out of the pond at night and hop down into our courtyard area in search of bugs, but they were not able to make the 18" jump to get back into the pond so we would end up catching them in the morning and placing them back into the pond ourselves. I tried just laying a board down that sloped from the courtyard up to the edge of the sill. We started finding no more frogs in the courtyard area anymore, but I wasn't sure if they just weren't climbing out of the pond at night anymore, or they were actually utilizing the my makeshift ramp. So I put a motion detection camera out there pointing at the ramp, and sure enough we caught them hoping up the ramp back into the pond in the wee hours of the morning.
I ended up finding that they are pretty spatially aware of their surroundings and if they see a way to get somewhere they want to go they will do it, and now we use something a little attractive then a plain and it seems to work just as well.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

@Mucky_Waters Very cool idea and it looks great

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Okay, So this is my attempt at making a net cover for my pond using pvc pipe, a cheap pond net and plastic tie wraps (we tried to find black pipe but couldn't. I thought it might make it look a little nicer but oh well) it keeps all the junk from the tree from falling into the pond and it also protects the fish. I modified the net to leave a partial area of the pond uncovered where the potted plants are so they could grow without out getting tangled in the net.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

In the second picture you can see my floating log for the toads. My fish like to swim around it too (funny there happens to be a leaf laying on top of it but that fell when the cover was off obviously)

Here is a photo where you can see the driftwood it is placed on the ground at the top of the pond and goes into the pond where the potted plants are (right next to the tipped over clay pot. because of all the plant growth you can't see the part in the pond)

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I know this doesn't look pretty either but this is what I have to do when the bulk of the leaves fall and the darn helicopter things start falling. I still have to net some stuff out of the pond but this really catches a lot.

I bought a more durable tighter weave cloth pond net and I drape it over the entire pond and some of the surrounding area. I have two shepherds hooks on either side of the pond where the plants are so that I can have the net up off of them as well as leaving the pond open to any toads who might be visiting. You can also see the piece of driftwood better in this picture as it was taken prior to all the plant growth.

 

[addy1]

I cut a piece of matala filter material, bent some wire over the lip of the pond (stock ponds, straight edged) down into the water to lay the filter material on. It gives them a place to hop on and out. I only have the wide weave nets on mine, so can't help with the netting.