While planting my new herbs for my garden this year, I came upon a broken pot and I decided it would make a lovely toad home. Why would I want to attract toads to my garden? Well, we all know they eat bugs…but, to properly answer that question I had to do a little research. And, here is what I found out about my little, warty (not really warts), friends.
Michigan has two species of toads; the Eastern American Toad and Fowler’s Toad. The Fowler’s Toad is a species of concern and primarily found only in southwest Michigan. I am sure the toads around my home are the Eastern American variety. Toads are described as having dry skin, rounded bodies, blunt noses and short legs. Most have tan, brown or gray coloration to blend in with soil, fallen leaves and rocks. Toads also have bumps on their skin. These bumps are actually glands that do secrete a toxin to ward off predators.
Toads eat insects. One site said that they will eat whatever they can fit in their mouth. Some of their favorites include: beetles, slugs, crickets, flies, ants, grubs, mosquitos, cutworms, and other invertebrates. An impressive list! And, that’s enough for me to invite them to stay in my garden.
So, how do you invite them to your garden? Like all living things, toads need: food, water, and habitat. Food they will forage for themselves. Water can be natural sources, or you can provide a water source. Habitat can be natural or you can tweak your landscaping to help meet this need too.
I feel that I have a good food source for my toads, however, I did find a few tips to make sure this need is covered. Native plants offer habitats to natural insect populations, which are the toad’s main food source. By including native, flowering plants in your garden or your lawn, you’ll attract all sorts of insects. A bare lawn won’t help attract toads, but natural garden beds filled with native plants will. Could your lawn become a colorful, low-maintenance arrangement of native grasses, such as prairie dropseed and little bluestem? Even if it’s just a small area where you add in some native plants, it will benefit the toad. And, it will become an area you no longer need to mow!
If you need or want to add a water source, I found a few ideas on that as well. Toads apparently enjoy dim, moist spots especially during the warmest part of the day. If you do not have a natural wet spot, one suggestion was to create one with a pie plate or similarly sized dish filled with water. And, be sure to place it in a shady spot. If you use a deeper water source, you’ll want to have shallow areas where toads can get in and out.
As you can see, I used a broken ceramic pot for a toad home in my garden. Beyond the toad home, you can also add in additional habitat to your yard or garden for the toads. You can use natural materials such as piled bricks, rocks, or scraps of wood. Or you can re-purpose items such as a coffee can or plastic container. However, using a container of stone, ceramic or clay will provide better protection against the mid-day heat. When making a home for a toad, expose bare soil and make sure the house does not rock when bumped. A small handful of leaves may be placed inside the house to provide bedding material. Toads enjoy digging in the soil, so if you’re partially burying a pot, make sure to fill it in with plenty of dirt for them.
And, that’s all there is to it! One of the sites did caution not to try to “move” toads into your newly created home, but rather allow young toads to find your new home. Once you have a happy occupant, they will continue to return “home” year after year.
Here are the sites that I used to comprise my article:
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