Toad houses?

[Seahorse]

I went out on my slug and snail hunt a bit later than usual lastnight and was really pleased to find quite a number of toads happily assissting me! In fact I left them to it, as I was more worried about squishing one of them than I was about collecting the baddies!

I've seen a few about before and I'm pretty sure they live in my neighbours garden (which is a wilderness) but I'd like to encourage them into mine as much as possible. Are toad houses worth buying or making? I could sort out an 'upside down flowerpot' one quite easily without going to the expense of a 'proper' toad one but I've also seen some rather posh wooden affairs:

http://www.alanaecology.com/acatalog...oad_House.html

(Hope it's ok to post a link to a commercial site?). I'm not sure I want to spend quite that much but again, could perhaps have a bash at making one myself.

Does anyone have a toad house (bought or made) that toads have moved into? Or have you found there's a particular place in your garden they like?

Any advice gratefully recieved!

Claire

[cms]

We would opt for hand made every time ...

... we found a young toad when we demolished the old shed (obviously woke it from a good sleep) and having carefully caught it up in a plant pot for a few minutes to keep it safe my daughter did a quick Internet search for what they required.

We used a large terracotta pot and half buried it before backfilling the pot with soil and finally draping some unwanted turf across the top. We popped the toad in but haven't seen it since so I don't know if it worked, but I don't want to disturb so we will wait with fingers crossed. Its down by the shed so there is only occasional brief interruptions and Toad doesn't seem to have found out my wormery is just inside the shed!

We also have a small frog so then I had to create a small wildlife pool, which the birds love - twelve jolly sparrows splashing in the bath the other evening - lovely to watch.

Good luck with encouraging the toads which ever path you choose.

Cathy

[pigletwillie]

I use a pile of 3 bricks to form a shelter in my greenhouse at home and by the pond. They are all inhabited by toads or frogs. Plants hide them and keep them cool and moist and they are easily moved if required.

[Rowan]

The toads may well be living in your garden already - I found three nestled under a patio slab! Then I very slowly dug out a pond by their back door, and they kept falling in. I'm sure I once heard one hunting - under the bergenia leaves there was a sound like a very small cat pouncing! Just about anything that will stay cool and damp, while providing some cover, may get occupied. Try to give them a pond, too, but make sure you construct an escape ramp.

[Flummery]

If you can get hold of those terracotta land drains they are ideal (we find them wahsed out of the cliff where the East Coast is plunging lemming-like into the North Sea!). We put some in the 'mound' you always get when making a pond. You just need to leave one end open.

[Seahorse]

Thanks for all the tips! I shall have a go at making one. I'd love a pond but with four small children, including one with special needs, it isn't really something I can safely have just at the moment. I do have plenty of shallow containers I can fill with water though

Claire

[cms]

Hi Claire

Don't be overly worried about a pond for the toads - they are not as reliant on water as frogs (apart from in the spring from spawning and if you have a healthy population they are obviously satisfying that requirement!)

A shallow water container will be fine - although a nuisance in dry/hot weather 'cos you will constantly have to top it up (before anyone says it dry/hot weather is not exactly headline news on the forecast at the moment), but if you want to be sure the children are safe a 'bog garden' would keep the toads happy too.

Just be prepared to have names for each toad and be expected to recognise them one from the other - ours is called Bruce (apparently).

All the best Cathy

[Seahorse]

Lol Cathy!

A bog garden sounds good actually - there's an old shed I'm hoping will be removed soon and the space where it sits is pretty dank and dark, so that might work well for that spot. Thanks!

Claire