Frogs - friends?

[MaidstoneMark]

Simple question really; are frogs friends or foes?  Found a whole family of them in the (otherwise empty) compost bin I have inherited on my site - I want to use the bin but is it worth trying to create a new living space for the frogs?  I'd heard they are beneficial to gardners because they eat slugs? (Rather them than me!)

[Georgie]

Oh friends, definitely.  They'll soon be foraging around your plot eating all the garden baddies.  Just make sure they have access to some water - an old soup plate or bowl will do -  and some shade, then they will make their own home quite happily.   

G xx

[Mrs Ava]

And they are jolly tasty sauteed in a little garlic butter. 

[Margaret]

Emma!! how could you?   i know you don't mean it really. Thanks for the greeting by the way,i intend to call in a little more often now anyway.

[Marianne]

Maidstonemark - they will devoure all your snails and slugs. 

If I had a larger garden, I would definitely have a small pond as I have recently suffered ill effects of the nasty slugs! Yuck!

I just hate them ! 

[diver]

U've just made a little pond on the lottie from an old water tank and it is now full of frog spawn..on our lottie site peole walk round with buckets of frogs and frogspawn at this time of year making sure every available bit of water has frogs init... has anyone one got toads, apparently they eat slugs by the allotment full...they have bigger mouths and are hungrier , or so I am told.

[Heldi]

I'd love to have some frogs,all I've got is a metre long ceramic frog. Imagine the amount of slugs that could eat! 

Do you really only need a small bowl of water to attract/tempt frogs?

[MaidstoneMark]

From what I understand, Frogs don't actually live in the water, or submerged in water when they are adults - so you just need a damp wet place for them to breed happily; the lady on the plot next to me watered her Rhubarb and found it coverered in Frog spawn the next day...

So, to mis-quote "Finding Nemo";  "Frogs are friends, not food!"

[Mrs Ava]

Yup, froggies only do the doo in water and then lay their ickle bicky gooey eggy mess in there.  As number ones son they have a small, heavily planted pond which is 3 foot off the ground, and this morning it was a writhing mass of frogs and loads of great big dollops of spawn!  Our pond is currently devoid of spawn, and we do have at least 3 froggies currently in residence.  Maybe they are all boys..... 

[wardy]

I once was served deep fried frogs legs at a 'do'.  The maitre de wotsit asked me "how are your frogs legs"?  I replied "a bit watery"  Honestly I did  (I did titter afterwards when I realised what I'd said) 

[kenkew]

Threw away an old push&go mower last week....but, I saved the 25 ltr basket thingy from the front, dug a hole and put it in. Filled it with water but set the whole thing at an angle so froggies can get in and out as they want.
Went down the plot last weekend..guess what. Not one bloody frog at all!

[Heldi]

So what has always puzzled me is, where do they come from? I mean, how do they know that  there is a new pool of water for them to do their thing in? Do I need a sign post or something? Maybe thats where you've gone wrong Ken..."frogs welcome here" in bright neon. Maybe a sign with just "gribbet" ? Big arrows pointing at the pond. I've not seen any frogs in my garden,how will they know?!!

[Mrs Ava]

'Build it and they will come.....'

I reakon they can smell it! 

[busy_lizzie]

Yes it has always puzzlied me.  When we moved into our high walled and fenced garden there was no pond or any sort of water featured in it, and as soon as we made a pond abut 30 frogs appeared during the mating time. We have always wondered where they all came from.  there was no compost heap then and the garden was quite sparse.    Yes EJ we did feel a bit like Kevin Costner.

I love my frogs though and do consider them as friends.  I am sure they  have kept our sluggy,snaily problem down.
We also have a pond at the lottie but one of the committee was saying they might start cracking down on ponds as they are a risk factor to any children brought onto the site.  I think a lot of people will be up in arms if they do.
busy_lizzie

[Marianne]

Wardy,

when I was living the other side of the sea, I used to eat frogs' legs.  Sorry I had to come clean.

Thinking back though, I did not think they tasted nice and just to think of it now gives me the shivers...

[Heldi]

Hah hah!  I had that "and they will come " in my head last night but I couldn't figure out which film I'd picked it up from. It cracked me up when I read it this morning. Was it Waterworld?

I'm just trying to decide where to put a little pond. I have a butler sink which I think will be just the job. Any advice on positioning? Is semi- shade best? A small list of plants,or should that be a list of small plants, would be gratefully received too or should I post on ponds 'n stuff?  I want it for insects more than anything and hopefully a frog or two!

[Harriet]

Just say, for the sake of argument, that I build it and they don't come...  Can you buy frogspawn anywhere?

H

[busy_lizzie]

"Field of Dreams" Heidi.   If you lived nearby Harriet you could have some of mine.  Anywhere Whitley Bay? busy_lizzie

[Harriet]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'm in London (where outside space is at a premium, so v. grateful for my allotment!).

[Heldi]

Field of Dreams...ofcourse I remember now...boy is that a blast from the past.


Busy-Lizzy...I live in Northumberland just up the coast from you. If I stand on Coquet Island can you see me waving!!