Tropical Water Lily Pest–The Cuban Treefrog Tadpole
We now look at another tropical water lily pest–the tadpole of a treefrog.
Some weeks back, I noticed some tadpoles in one of our stock tanks. It happened to be the one that houses our plant stock for N. ‘Charlie’s Pride’. We keep it simple here! No state of the art filters, or unnecessary chemicals. We get dragon flies, damsel flies, ladybugs and other beneficial critters. We also keep wakin in most of our stock tanks so as to control mosquitoes and provide supplement for the tropical water lilies. Essentially we look to nature to manage the ecosystems and therefore, it was a pleasant sight to see the tadpoles.
Recently there has been some significant damage to our N. ‘Charlie’s Pride’ plant stock. Thankfully each tropical water lily variety is separated into their own stock tank so the damage was contained. The damage that occured was very severe–water lily pads eaten down to their skeleton. This damage knocked our entire line of N. ‘Charlie’s Pride’ out of commission for awhile.
The Remedy
Upon conducting some research, we were able to determine that the tree frog tadpoles belonged to the ‘Cuban treefrog’ which is a non-native species. Our only remedy is to remove all plants and then scoop out all tadpoles with a net. We then remove the destroyed foliage, fertilize the plants, and finally return them to the stock tank. Due to the resilience of tropical water lilies, they spring back rather quickly!
Perhaps with a large pond, this damage may be limited or may not occur but with a small to medium sized pond, these tadpoles could wreak havoc upon your tropical water lilies.
A contributor to this article, “DG” suggested that the tadpoles could be used to educate children. We suggest that a pond owner conduct their own research and if possible seek help from an local agricultural extension agency. If the tadpoles are determined to be native species–share tadpoles with a local school so that children can learn about metamorphosis or even relocate to a local pond or lake.
Photo credit: Picture of tree frogs. Craig Presnell of Luster Aquatic Nursery.
Contributor credit: Educate children about metamorphosis with tadpoles. DG.
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- Cuban tree frog tadpole
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- Cuban tree frog tadpoles
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- Cuban tree frog tadpole
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- Tree Frogs
Filed under: Cultivation, Pests, Tropical Water Lilies
hey if u dont want the tadpoles, can u send them to me? or eggs if u see any? i liv in california
Please take a few minutes and read up on the importance of treefrogs and the things that are causing their numbers to dwindle. If at all possible, it would be great for all flora and fauna involved here to transport those tadpoles to a different location. Many elementary schools are interested in letting the children learn about metamorphosis and there’s nothing better than a few tadpoles in a vivarium for that. If no one can take them, even a trip to a nearby pond or lake would be a great place for your “pests.”
Hello DG, thank you for taking the time to look at our article. We looked at information provided by a UF Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and have determined that the particular tree frog that is responsible is the ‘Cuban treefrog’. This treefrog is not native to Florida so we do not relocate them. This research facility is actually located minutes from our location. I will update our article accordingly and credit you with the educational value.