Toad season

[Nepen]

I also get a lot of toads but found out at the egg stage that a turkey baster works well to suck them up.
I put them in a pail and hike them to the creek about 1/2 mile away. Easy going down but all up hill coming back but at least he bucket is empty. Have a nice little backwater hole custom made for them.

thanks for the tip! I like that toads are beneficial but i didnt want them hopping around but members hear said they hardly saw them so im letting them be for now. will see if the snake population goes up or not because the increase in its food!

 

[Nepen]

I just leave them be, they come by the thousands, hatch by the thousands, eat a ton of plant matter, then leave by the thousands. We never have excess. They do not bother the water quality of my pond. Sort of enjoy watching them grow get legs and leave.

i just check the pond again yesterday (was on vacation for a bit) and i got only less than half of them in my pond! Its not time for them to hop away yet ( i think it takes at least 30 days) so i think they eat each other or they got suck in the pump...

My pond got tons of string algae though

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I haven't heard or seen the toads here yet but I have lots of string algae in my pond this spring too Nepen.

 

[gigigreen]

The toads haven't come to our pond yet, but they always do, and when they do its unbearable! My husband has tried catch and release, gigging, and this year he will be shooting them with a BB gun. They're extremely loud and so annoying! Our pond is close to the house; I feel bad, but it's ridiculous how loud they are.

 

[gigigreen]

Thanks for the tip with the turkey baster. I haven't seen any eggs yet.

 

[addy1]

I love the sound of the toads, frogs pond life. We have some in our deck pond, they echo.

 

[Nepen]

I went out to the pond this morning and I now have less than a 100 toad tadpoles left in my pond.... wondering why.. it's been too short for them to hop away just yet. They probably eat each other? last night we had unexpected cold so we got to 30 degree. the tads look fine at least. I do want them to survive!

 

[adavisus]

While fish may be deterred by the toad not tasting too good, toad tadpole numbers do seem to plummet fast on a pond, I suspect the rapacious appetite of the water beetles and the dragonfly larvae has no problem scoffing them

 

[tbendl]

Our frogs and toads have been singing for a few weeks now and laying tons of eggs. Up here in Maryland

Oh my goodness, here too! They are crowded all around the pond edge.

 

[Nepen]

While fish may be deterred by the toad not tasting too good, toad tadpole numbers do seem to plummet fast on a pond, I suspect the rapacious appetite of the water beetles and the dragonfly larvae has no problem scoffing them

ha! I forgot about those critters in the pond. I actually think most of my dragonfly nymph got eaten during the fall/winter/spring that I dont have much of them any more. I wish i get more this year

 

[adavisus]

There will be one very plump happy cannibal nymph waiting for lunch time