FAQs about ponds: filling in

Pond are great educational tools as well as being beneficial to wildlife (Natlie Giles)

WILDLIFE INFORMATION SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions about... ponds:

I'm filling in my pond, what shall I do with the spawn / tadpoles / adult amphibians I find?

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation encourages you not to fill in ponds unless there is absolutely no other alternative. If you are filling in the pond because of safety concerns, there are other options you could consider - see our FAQs 'How do I make my pond safer?' and 'I have concerns about pond safety, what are the alternatives?'.

Ponds have enormous value for wildlife in urban areas - allowing populations of amphibians to thrive as well as providing important places for dragonflies and other pond invertebrates to live and breed.

Ponds also provide stepping stones for other species to come into urban areas, including birds, bats and even grass snakes. Urban ponds can help buffer the disappearance of natural ponds in the wider countryside - the number of ponds in the UK countryside is estimated to have declines by over a third in the last century*.

Ponds can be of incredible importance for educating young people. Under supervision, children can see real life examples of many of the things they learn in the classroom, including ecosystems, foodchains, biodiversity and wildlife identification. Plus potential pond-dippers develop a confidence in the wider world, and an appreciation and respect for local nature.

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation maintains that other options exist to make ponds safe and often these work out cheaper and actually take less time, money and effort than filling in a pond - see the FAQ 'How can I make my pond safer?'.

If you do chose to fill in your pond, we advise that you wait until autumn when there will be least amphibians in the water to disturb. After filling in a pond please note that you may find amphibians returning to the garden the following spring to breed - see our FAQ 'Why have frogs / toads arrived in spring when there is no pond?'. Be sure to complete all the work in one go - do not leave a drained, empty pond as this can trap amphibians and other wildlife.

If you are emptying your pond before autumn, and you have come across frogspawn or tadpoles we would advise that you transfer them to a neighbour's garden pond (preferably within one mile). Do not release spawn or tadpoles into a public water body (reservoirs, lakes/ponds in nature reserves) without permission, and avoid moving water (streams, rivers, canals). Please see the 'Garden ponds and the law' FAQ for more information regarding relocating animals.

There is no organisation that will be able to come and take the spawn, tadpoles or adult amphibians off your hands.

More information:

How can I make my pond safer? >>>

I have concerns about pond safety, what are the alternatives? >>>

Why have frogs / toads arrived in spring when there is no pond? >>>

Garden ponds and the law. >>>

ARG UK. >>>

*Source: Pond Conservation.