I would like to know if will it hurt to move tadpoles from off the top of my pool cover to a kiddie pool, along with the water they are in now? I want to open my pool, but I don’t want to hurt the tadpoles. Thank you. Rhonda
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Rhonda, Thanks for writing, and it’s nice of you to want to go to that trouble for the tadpoles. Every year at this time, I get a few questions just like yours. Pool covers are popular places for frogs to lay eggs!
I think your plan sounds good, as long as you don’t have a dog who will eat the tadpoles out of the kiddy pool.
They probably won’t do that well on top of the pool cover anyway, especially if the water starts to dry up. Is the pool in the sun? I would try to duplicate a similar sun location, because most tadpoles eat algae, so if you put the pool in the shade, they might not get enough to eat. On the other hand, you don’t want it to get super hot. Good luck! Tom
Hi Tom, Thank you for getting back to me. No I do not have a dog. Yes my pool is in full sun. How long before they become frogs? We saw that they were there sometime in May. Thank you, Rhonda
Can you take a picture of the tadpoles? We might be able to figure out what kind of amphibian they come from and that would allow a better guess as to how much longer before they metamorphose. Do any of them have legs yet? My guess is tree frog, just because they are the ones most likely to get up on a swimming pool, I suspect. Is it an above ground or in ground pool? Tom
Hey Tom, just wanted to make a note here. I know it’s too late to do any good for the above-mentioned tadpoles, but wanted to warn about predators other than dogs. The one night I failed to cover my kiddie pool, a racoon went in and feasted on HUNDREDS of tadpoles. These were rescued from my overflowing pond (the racoon can’t access the pond without falling in) and were my babies. I was devastated. Only 7 were left the next morning. Gail
From on top of my out of ground pool I caught around what seemed like hundreds and carried the little babies down to a nice big pond, I thought I saw others down there too, was that okay?
Hi Patricia, that sounds like the right thing to do. Some ponds and lakes have so many fish that it’s hard for the smaller tadpoles to survive. But if you saw other tadpoles there, that suggests that yours will have a normal chance of surviving. Tom
Greetings! Due to a faulty pump we were not able to open our above ground pool which ended up being a blessing because of the continuous scores of tadpoles. A never-ending birthing process! They are living in an area of water (dingy with algae) about 10 feet in circumference. I don’t know if predators have thinned out the vast population, but we have checked on them each morning and of those that had sprouted limbs, apparently, survived to leave. We live in Indiana and there are approximately 200 or 300 remaining and it’s late August. Will more eggs hatch? We want to remove our tattered cover, replace it with a new one, winterize the pool and close it. There seems to be enough algae left for them to feed on and MANY have grown and fled over the summer. How long should we expect to house tadpoles before they all are completely gone? Not too much longer, I hope. Once leaves begin to fall, it will be difficult to determine it they have left.
Hi Terri, thanks for writing. Can you take any photos of the tadpoles and include something to show the size? Most of the swimming pool top tadpoles seem to be tree frogs, which should metamorphose before winter. The only tadpoles that regular last more than one season are the larger frogs like bullfrogs and green frogs. But if you can take some photos, the highest resolution you can do, I might be able to identify your tadpoles and then we can figure out a good strategy. Thanks for caring about them. Tom@askanaturalist.com
Thanks for your reply, Tom. I am having difficulty uploading photo’s to send to you, but will continue to try to do so. One little guy my husband found hopping in the backyard about a couple of months ago was a tiny bright green color about half the size of his thumb. The tadpoles in our pool tarp water (which is maintaining a depth of about 8 inches, or so) are a light brownish color/long tails. Comparing photo’s I’ve seen on the internet, they resemble Bull Frog tadpoles. They seem to be doing quite well with enough algae to feed on. If they are still there just before the leaves begin to fall, we could stretch our leaf net cover over the pool area and provide them an opening to escape when they are ready to leave. Sorry I couldn’t provide photos, but as I stated, I will continue to try and get them to you. Thanks, Tom.
Greetings, all!
Sorry if it has previously been mentioned, but relating to this subject, when these little guys become frogs, there is a simple frog saving inexpensive device called the “Frog Log/Criiter escape” which can be placed in pools for frogs to use to climb out instead of ending up dead in the skimmer basket. We didn’t open our above ground pool this year, but we bought two of these a couple of years ago for escape hatches at two locations and fortunately, we didn’t find one frog in our basket. The many reviews were positive for this product and they apparently work. Just thought I would suggest trying one (or more) of you haven’t already.
My concern is more of numbers and habitat. Is it irresponsible to have them in the dozens erupt in my suburban neighborhood? Will they have sufficient resources or should I take them to a holding pond and if so, at what stage?
This is small, inflatable pool on the back porch the cover for which got partially blown off by a storm and by the time I noticed the cover, there were scores of tadpoles and I am concerned for their survival.
Thank you and of course I realize this is minimal information, so should anything further be helpful, I am ready!
Stuart
I have fat black tadpoles on my pool cover…will these become frogs or toads? And how long does it take for them to grow into frogs or toads?
Hi Laura, can you take some photos of the tadpoles? Tom
Going to try to send pictures. Therdd we are hundreds in our winter cover on top of our above ground pool. Hate to kill them but want somehow to remove them What is your advice, I think they are tree frogs. Email is kathmerl@wctc.net
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Going to try to send pictures. There are hundreds in our winter cover on top of our above ground pool. Hate to kill them but want somehow to remove them What is your advice, I think they are tree frogs. Email is kathmerl@wctc.net. Not sure if these photos will open or where I can send pics to. Thanks.
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Hello, for a few reasons we did not get the cover off our above ground pool yet. My husband was getting to do it today, but noticed 100’s of large tadpoles in the water. Now he doesn’t want to take the cover off because he doesn’t want to kill them. He feels if he transfers them they will either die or be eaten by the fish. I would like to use the pool sometime this summer. Help this distressed wife. Suggestions please!!!!