Dear Sibe,

I don't have any fish in my pond but I do have lots of frogs. My pond really needs cleaning but I don't know how to do this without upsetting the frogs. Can you tell me what to do and when I should do it please?

Thank you very much,

Marie.

Our Gardening Expert replies:

Hello Marie,

Amphibians such as the frogs and toads you have in your pond are attracted to wet places to maintain their body moisture as they breathe partly through their skin. It is a good idea to look after them as they are very useful for devouring slugs and snails, flies, cutworms, mosquitoes, midges and other insects that cause damage in your garden. In other words, they are a superb biological control and should be encouraged wherever possible. They do eat some beneficial insects as well, but no froggy's perfect!

Having lots of frogs and toads in your pond is an indicator that it's not in desperate need of a clean. However, if it really can't wait then I suggest you leave it towards the second half of August and then take it very slowly, each day removing just some of the weed or whatever you are cleaning out. Always leave what you remove at the side of the pond for a while to let any wild life crawl back in.

Frogs and toads are more at risk from pesticides than from physical damage caused by cleaning out the pond. So as long as you completely avoid using these anywhere near the pond and do the cleaning in a slow and gentle way, you will do little damage once your guests have developed into adults.

Always ensure the frogs and toads have an easy way in and out of the pond by incorporating a gently sloping side, preferably with a little overhead cover to prevent predation by birds. A pile of logs nearby will also provide shelter for newts and toads.

For advice on building your own wildlife pond, see Building a Pond and Wildlife Gardening. Plus also take a look at Pond Maintenance for more guidance.

Hope this helps,

Sibe.