Toads
How to help toads in the colder months!
- Create a compost heap in your garden to provide a good habitat for toads to shelter and hibernate in over winter. Ensure it has areas to hide away and is sited in a quiet, undisturbed spot.
- Build a simple wooden toad house – a toad abode! And place it in a shady, moist area of the garden. This will give them a safe spot to sleep during their dormant period.
- Avoid tidying up garden areas too fastidiously in autumn – leave spaces with log piles, long grass and leaf litter where toads can easily bury down into.
- If you have a pond, make sure there is a slope or ramp area so that toads can get in and out easily. Leave aquatic plants in place too.
- Stop using slug pellets or other pesticides that could be toxic or harmful to foraging toads.
- Keep an eye out for toads when gardening or clearing up. If you find any, relocate them carefully to a sheltered spot.
- In dry weather, provide a shallow dish of fresh water for hydration.
- Drive carefully at night when toads are more active and may crossroads in search of breeding ponds.