FAQs about spawn and tadpoles: too much/many

It's natural for large amounts of spawn can be laid (Sam Taylor)

WILDLIFE INFORMATION SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions about... spawn and tadpoles:

I have too much spawn / too many tadpoles, what shall I do with the excess?

During spring amphibians return to ponds to breed. In garden ponds, common frogs can be particularly numerous at this time of year.

Sometimes upwards of fifty frogs can return to the pond, leading to the popular concern that ponds may be 'overcrowded' or that there may be 'too much spawn'. This is a completely natural phenomenon, typical of amphibian populations around the world. While some years may be particularly good for breeding amphibians, many people report that in subsequent years the numbers are not sustained and they then drop down.

Large numbers of breeding frogs can result in enormous 'rafts' or 'mats' of frogspawn being deposited, sometimes covering the whole surface of the pond. This is natural and will not result in your pond being 'over-run with tadpoles' or your garden being 'over-run with frogs' later in the year.

Amphibians lay large numbers of eggs as a natural way to counter the range of predators that eat spawn and tadpoles. A popular statistic says that around one in fifty of the eggs laid in the pond will actually make it out of the pond as a froglet. The rest will be eaten by pond predators that might include fish (if present), dragonfly larvae or newts. Having large numbers of tadpoles can also lead to intense competition between individuals for food, meaning again that numbers of tadpoles will naturally thin out.

Of the froglets that leave the pond, only a handful will make it to adulthood - the rest will get eaten by other predators including grass snakes, blackbirds, crows, magpies, hedgehogs, foxes and badgers.

We advise that you refrain from interfering with the natural events that occur in your pond. Instead, enjoy it - frog numbers may not be as high in future years.

Moving frogs or spawn?
We do not advise that you attempt to move amphibians or their spawn away from your pond at this time of year: by taking them to a different pond you may unwittingly transfer various diseases and invasive plants. Also, many amphibians may try to return and they will suffer if placed in an unsuitable area. Do not release spawn, tadpoles or adult amphibians into the wild or into public water bodies such as rivers, canals reservoirs or country park/nature reserve ponds.

More information:

Identifying amphibians. >>>

Dragons in your Garden. >>>

Should I feed the tadpoles in my pond? >>>