You might be asking, why would I want to set up a toad complex for homeless toads? The answer is easy – they are awesome garden keepers. They are a great project for kids to work on, do you remember when you used to catch toads, and the fun you had? For parents and kids alike, you can go out on a warm evening and listen to them “sing” to each other. Toads have different tones for different songs they sing to attract mates.
If you enjoy gardening, but are tired of the nasty little critters that come in and destroy your vegetables and flowers, you might want to consider a “toad abode.” Toads can destroy insects up to three times their own weight! It is a lot more natural than some of the harmful chemicals currently sold, and for those concerned with our environment and the effects of these products, you know that a toad will most likely not contribute to global warming.
Toads like shade and moist areas, so if you have one that’s great! Chances are though; you’ll want to put some kind of “house” in for your toad, and a small area for them to get their fill of water. A pie plate, or similar dish of that size filled with water is a great little pond for them. A clay pot or small structure made out of scraps is all you need for your toad’s house. It’s an excellent project for children to make, it’s so easy! If you have a broken terra cota planter hanging around, you are basically done, just paint if you want to add a little color to you, and your toad’s life! If you are using brick, or anything that can tumble, make sure it’s sturdy! We don’t want to crush our little garden helpers. Make sure you don’t place directly in the sun, if you are using a clay pot, it’ll dry out and your toad will be unhappy, and will want to pack his bags and head for the next garden.
Toads can live for a long time, and are excellent at keeping away bugs that munch on your vegetables. Think about which commercial fertilizers you are using though, and any other chemicals you might be adding to your garden so as not to kill your toads.
Don’t worry about warts either! The glands behind the toad’s eyes are not warts, nor can they give you warts! They actually secrete a toxin, which makes their predators not want to snack on them. Keep your dogs and cats away from your toad abode if you can! You might want to make an entrance and an exit door in your toad abode, because snakes can be a problem as well and you want to give your toad a way out.
We can support our gardens naturally, if given the right circumstances. Inviting amphibians into our world is a great way to control the bug population! If more people concentrated on natural ways, we would all be better off.
