General Chat

Nearly every year at this time we appear to lose at least one fish usually two. No signs of infection - pond water tested and found to be OK. Last week on successive days we lost three - all orfe about 8-9" long, 2 golden and 1 blue. Yet again water OK and no signs of infection. However the last one could see it on bottom of pond and could not lift it after three attempts - husband tried and after a couple of tries got it up - we now know why - it had drowned - firmly clamped around its head was a frog. This is the mating season for frogs and we do know that apparently they will clamp on to anything which moves. We have, in the past, found a dead frog with another clamped firmly on and again some years ago a fish with a frog clamped on - but we had forgotten. It might solve the mystery for other owners who find unexplained deaths in their garden pond. Unfortunately the 'killer' escaped - back into the pond - before he could be captured and transferred to the village pond. The other fish in our pond are either too big - 14" plus or too small - 4-5" so hopefully that is it for this year but so annoying.

Is your pond small enough to cover with netting Ann?,if it is you could remove the frogs and then cover it over to prevent it happening againFred.ptfg.&a&g&s.

It is covered with netting at the moment as it has been for some months as we are surrounded by oak trees and have a wood at the end of our garden - but frogs are like mice apparently - can squeeze through small gaps. Netting goes on about Oct/Nov and comes off about end of April when the danger of the heron fishing has gone! Yes we also have a plastic heron beside pond as well now since we lost large koi and orfe to the rotten devil. Ann

Am nudging this up (one time only) in order that it might solve unexplained deaths of fish in garden ponds to those who may not have seen it. Ann

Didn't realise that frogs would eat fish Ann. That must explain what happened to mine. We had a full pond once but they all dwindled without a trace. Now we just have a garden full of frogs! Maggy

We had an orfe that decided to leap out - our cat seized the opportunity and ate it! Lisa

LOL Maggy! I think what was meant is that at this time of year, frog mating season, desperate frogs will grab anything and try it on! A bit like many men really! The frogs must be wearing those beer goggles! Any way the fish dies'cause it cant breathe. They dont get eaten by the frogs. Have I got that right? Joan.

A couple of years back my boys and I went down to the local river and I saw what I thought were some stones at the bottom of the river that appeared to be moving. It was in fact a female frog covered in about 5 males all grabbing on! Nature is quite blatant at times - I remember also a drake trying to have his way with a duck and chasing her through the market place. My son, 5, said 'Mummy I don't think she wants him to do that to her!' nell

Joan is right - Maggy is wrong - the frogs will latch on to anything during mating season! These (in our pond) latched on to the head of fish - fish could not breathe - and so died. The last one we found with the frog still attached had one of its gills pushed right in. Just thought it might solve mystery of unexplained deaths - we have lost 3 this year and each year we lose one or two at this time of year. Funnily enough we have no frog spawn yet - although we usually find it from late January. Ann

'The Great Love In' was in Belfast, here yesterday. In my Mums pond. It was eaxactly a year and a day since last years love in! Accurate little things arent they? Joan.

So where did my fish go then??!! Honestly they disappeared without a trace? Oh well, one of lifes little mysteries......... Maggy

maggy- could it have been an heron ? sue [ who has 2 ponds and lots of randy frogs ! lol]