FAQs about spawn and tadpoles: when to do pond work?

Pond work should be done in late autumn (Wendy Sabine)

WILDLIFE INFORMATION SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions about... spawn and tadpoles:

I am working on my pond, what shall I do with the spawn / tadpoles in it?

If possible, delay pond maintenance until late autumn (September/October), so that tadpoles have been given time to metamorphose and leave the water (and before adult frogs return to the pond to hibernate). If you need to carry out the work more urgently remove the spawn / tadpoles with a net and place in a tank or suitable container filled with pond water while you do the work; carefully return them to the pond when you've finished.

Occasionally tadpoles/newt larvae remain in the pond over the winter and develop the following spring, so be sure to be check the pond carefully before starting work at any time of year.

If you are considering filling in your pond because of safety concerns we advise you to consider installing some simple safety precautions for the pond instead, see: 'How can I make my pond safer for children?'. Removing a pond can be very detrimental to local wildlife, particularly as adult amphibians will have nowhere to spawn when they return the following spring.

Unfortunately there is no organisation that will pick up animals disturbed as a result of you filling in your pond.

More information:

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

How can I make my pond safer for children? >>>

Garden ponds and the law. >>>

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

Dragons in your Garden. >>>