Aphids

Aphids are always a popular food source for frogs. They seem to stimulate natural feeding behaviour, make a welcome change from Drosophila, and often stimulate breeding. Most aphids are quite specific in terms of host plants, so there's more to aphids than just "greenfly"!

While it's possible to culture aphids, this involves growing a continuous supply of live plants, which is too much trouble for most of us. Collecting them as a seasonal bonus is the easiest way. Of course, if you collect from the wild", be careful about pollution and pesticide contamination.

Stinging nettles

In the UK, stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are one of the most reliable sources of aphids in early and mid-summer. I allow a clump of stinging nettles in a corner of my garden just for this annual aphid feast! They're pretty easy to grow, so if you don't have your own nettle patch, just pull up a bit of root from somewhere and plant it!

Since I went completely organic in my garden a few years back (in order to provide food for my amphibians), aphids and pests in general have become a lot less common in my garden. I get almost no aphids on my roses at all, but nettles provide a reliable and copious supply during May and June.

If you cut some clumps back to a few inches above ground level, you can prolong the supply over several months.

Sycamore aphids usually appear a while after the nettle aphids are in full swing. These are enjoyed by frogs too, but unless the tree is on your property, you may not be sure if any insects are contaminated.

You can also cut the nettles, dry them in a very low oven and grind up the powder for excellent free tadpole food!

And if you get really hungry, you can eat the nettles yourself - mmm, nutritious!

Black aphids

Many (not all) frogs will also eat black aphids. There are many different types of black aphid, but the main problem with them is that most are far less mobile than green aphids, so they don't attract the frog's attention as readily. However, most frogs learn to eat them in time.

Another tip:

If you have any yellow flowers in your garden, collect the pollen beetles from them is Spring or Summer. Larger frogs go mad for these - it's always funny to watch a fat tinc leaping around the tank trying to catch them.