Frogs in the garden pond - what to do against the noise?

Table Of Contents:

Anonim

Frogs can croak up to 90 decibels. This makes them louder than some electronic tools. Of course you get annoyed at some point. But do you have to put up with it?

Anyone who owns a garden pond usually has frogs in it. The little creatures are not really a problem, but their croaking can really get on the nerves of pond owners. A little frog croaking every now and then is nice, but that can quickly get the upper hand, because frog concerts can often last for several hours - and thus rob many people of their sleep at night. So what to do when the frogs make noise for hours and you can't sleep?

Why do frogs croak so loud?

Frogs start their croaking concert from the end of April until well into the summer. Because then it's mating season. With the croaking, the men court and mark their territory. And that can get incredibly loud. Just for comparison: quieter leaf blowers manage up to 60 decibels, louder models up to 90. The croaking of frogs can also reach up to 90 decibels! Incredible, right?

The 4 most common frogs in the garden pond

Frog is not just a frog, even if it seems so at first glance. So that you can understand who makes such a fuss in your garden pond, here is a brief overview of the 4 most common native frog species.

❏ Small pond frog (Rana lessonae)

The small pond frog (Rana lessonae) rightly bears its name because it is the smallest of the green frog species. The average body length is 4 to 5 cm, the body itself is quite slender, the head is rather pointed. The small pond frog can have a green body with brown spots, but there are also specimens with a brown body and a green stripe on the back. His favorite spot is the edge of the pond, where he also spends the winter.

❏ Tree frog (Hyla arborea)

The tree frog (Hyla arborea) is certainly the best-known frog, but unfortunately it is becoming increasingly rare. Typical of the tree frog and almost unmistakable is its grass-green body color and the conspicuous brown-black line that visually divides the back and abdomen into two halves. have tree frogstheir peak croaking season from May to June, where the croaking can be compared to the sound of a saw.

❏ Marsh Frog (Rana ridibunda)

In contrast to its other conspecifics, the marsh frog (Rana ridibunda) mostly stays in the water. With a length of up to 17 cm, the marsh frog is the largest European frog. In the case of marsh frogs, it is mainly the males who croak loudly and for a long time, at any time of the day or night. The marsh frog spends the winter at the bottom of the pond, but with the beginning of spring it can be seen above the water again.

❏ Edible Frog (Rana esculenta)

The Edible Frog (Rana esculenta) prefers to stay in heavily planted garden ponds. Here he also likes to seek out the company of marsh frogs and small pond frogs, which he closely resembles in appearance. It is assumed that the water frog is a cross between these two species. The noises or croaking are therefore similarly loud and intense.

What can be done about the croaking?

If you are a neighbor of a garden pond owner or can no longer stand the croaking from your garden pond, then unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. Your neighbor does not have to fill in the pond or remove the frogs. These fall under the Species Protection Ordinance and may therefore not be removed. So you have to put up with the noise. Surely you can meet again in court, but the chances of being successful here are close to zero. Such negotiations have already taken place in court - and all have failed.

But there is an exceptional case
If someone is massively disturbed by the frog concerts at night, an annoyed neighbor can hope for support. The Federal Court of Justice has decided that judges can make an exception if the croaking exceeds the guideline value of 35 decibels by 20 decibels. The owner of the frog pond then has to relocate the frogs to stop the noise. But the joy of the peace will not last long, because next year frogs will settle again.

Yes, you might think that there is more you can do about frogs than barking dogs and then this. If you feel massively disturbed, I have a few alternative suggestions for solving the croaking problem.

Natural predators against croaking frogs

Actually, there is no need to get into a neighborhood fight because of croaking frogs. Whether next dooror at your own garden pond - the frog has natural enemies who can ensure that the croaking is minimized.

❏ Threats to spawn

Before the frogs have a chance to let out their croaking, they are threatened. In concrete terms, this means that natural predators such as ducks, fish and the Alpine newt tamper with the spawn. The freshly laid eggs are sucked out or eaten, thus naturally curbing the frog population.

❏ Dytiscus beetle - the tadpole's biggest enemy

By loading the video, you accept YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

Always Unblock YouTube

If the eggs “survive”, the tadpoles hatch. The yellow smut beetle and its larvae are waiting for this moment and ambush the tadpoles. The larva of the yellow-spotted beetle alone can devour up to 900 tadpoles.

Once the tadpole has hatched, the yellow-spotted beetle and its larvae will ambush it. These wait in an ambush and snap as soon as a victim approaches them. They eat a variety of tadpoles at all stages. A yellow-spotted beetle larva can consume 900 tadpoles before it transforms into a beetle. Tadpoles are also popular food for water bugs and dragonfly larvae.

❏ Young frogs - treats for larger species

Juvenile frogs sometimes only make it to the water's edge, because larger conspecifics, such as the large green frog, are already waiting there to devour them. Danger also lurks in the air, because some blackbirds or wagtails have young frogs on their menu.

Catch and resettle frogs

If the frog population and thus the croaking gets out of hand, there is still the possibility to catch the frogs (do not kill them!). The best time to do this is at night and…

The Flashlight Trick

  1. As soon as it's dark, grab a flashlight and head to the garden pond.
  2. Shine the frog right in the face.
  3. The light freezes the frog and the croaking stops abruptly.
  4. If you dare, you can now grab the frog with your hand or alternatively catch it with a landing net.
  5. The collected frogs should then be released to another body of water immediately.