I have quite a few frogs in my pond before winter hit us (zone 6). I put a heater in the pond , it's 2 feet deep to keep it from freezing over. Will the frogs come out of dormancy during warmer days now that we are officially approaching what is considered spring in our zone. We just had a fairly warm day about 55 or so. The next day was rather cold and windy, that morning while out feeding the birds, I found a frog on the top of my pond netting. I guess he wondered out of the pond the day before when it was warmer and couldn't get back in. He was still alive, so I dropped him back in the pond near the heater does anyone know if he will survive. Have been reading all the talk on the site about overwintering frogs and taddies indoors. Is this necessary or is it because the ponds are too small, not deep enough or unheated. Also at what outdoor temp will the frogs start coming out of hibernation and eat, will they have enough algae etc in pond to eat or should I begin feeding them? There are goldfish in the pond and I didn't want to start feeding any of the pond pets befor it't the right time to do so.

I am in Ohio and my frogs stayed at the bottome of the pond only 18 in deep. On the warmer days I go to check on the fish and and teh frogs will scoot back into the pond. During the colder days (me being nosey) I would see them at the bottom and they would move if disturbed so I would say they should be fine. There maybe a fatality or two but I have not seen any yet and I was really poke'n around yesterday :D
They are still in dormant stage I wouldnt feed and they will find food if need be. Dont worry I am sure they are fine.

C2

I'm in northern Illinois and the frogs in my pond seem to do just fine. In January we had a couple of days in the 60s and I had a large Green Frog (Rana clamitans) alert and sitting in the sun. He was slow moving and evenutally went back in the pond under the string algae. My advice is just leave it to nature. The frogs will be just fine. When the temperature warms, they'll become active and find their own food. Some frogs actually leave the pond and dig in under the soil, usually near the base of trees and stay frozen all winter. The produce a kind of antifreeze that prevents cellular damage.

Think about it, frogs living in extremely cold climates live under the ice in lakes with 3 or more feet of ice for more than 5 months. Toads bury themselves in the soil and virtually stay in frozen state. My granddaughter brought me a toad she found stiff and solid in a window well. We put it in an aquarium, where it "thawed" and revived and has been eating and growing all winter long.

Don't feed the frogs. They will find their own food when the temperatures are right. Just like fish, they are cold-blooded and need warmer temperatures to be able to digest their food. If they eat and the temperature is low, the food may just sit in the gut and rot.

Don

Thanks for the info in your replies. I just got worried about the frog that was sitting on my pond netting, I think I will remove the netting, ther should'nt be very much debris that will fall in now. Just will keep an eye on things. Thanks again Cheryl

I've had many a frog on top of my pond nets in the fall. I just catch them and put them under. If they get caught up there when it's below freezing, they can freeze solid; I had one do that. If he was alive when you put him under the water, he has a good chance and making it. I wish I didn't have to net my big pond but, if I don't, the heron starts a-feasting.

The information I wrote about overwintering frogs, toads, and tadpoles indoors is for those people whose ponds aren't deep enough or otherwise satisfactory for overwintering outdoors. Some people have small tub ponds for example that freeze solid.

I begin to see frogs out of the pond water at around 50-55 degrees F. They don't eat much until it gets into the 60's. Adult frogs only eat live animals and won't eat algae like tadpoles do. So, until the bugs and worms start flying, inching, and hopping around, frogs have little to eat. Hum flying worms! How would it be to have one of those hit your face?

You can start feeding the pond fish once the water temperature is in to the 50's. Once the frogs are out on land and moving, it's ok to offer them mealworms or earthworms but they may not yet to interested.

It's the wood frogs that hibernate on land and can freeze solid, pretty amazing. Green frogs, bullfrogs, and pickerel frogs have to hibernate under water and will die on land in the winter (of cold regions). Tree frogs, leopard frogs, and toads hibernate on land.

Thanks Robyn. Guess I was right to think he would perish on the net .As far as I know all the frogs I put in the pond are ones that should overwinter in the water and it definitely went to freezing later that day.