Toads have never been popular with humans and females especially. The thing is, even though toads may be considered ugly creatures, they are actually quite beneficial to gardens and humans. Much of this has to do with a toad’s diet.
What a toad will eat:
- ants
- mosquitoes
- slugs
- snails
- grubs and worms
An adult American Toad, the most common type found here in Nova Scotia and throughout North America, can eat 1,000 insects in one day. Consequently, just a few toads can have a tremendous effect on insect populations in an area. A toad’s apetite for slugs and snails is also helpful in controlling these pests in gardens.
Toads can tolerate drier environments than frogs and also have long sticky retractable tongues that they can use to catch insects in flight. So, how do you attract these darlings to your yard?
- Allow shallow pools of water to sit in your yard in the springtime. These temporary pools from excess rain and melting snow are called vernal pools and are all that’s needed for toads to lay their long strands of eggs. (Frog eggs are laid in clusters).
- Create piles of dead leaves where toads, which are mostly nocturnal, can bury themselves to keep cool and moist during the day. They will also bury themselves deep under these as winter approaches.
- Offer hiding places where toads can stay out of the drying sun. These can be small caves made from arrangements of stones or overturned terra cotta pots. Wild areas are also helpful in providing places where toads can remain cool among tall weeds. Toads like to stay moist, which is a challenge during hot summer months.
- Refrain from use of pesticides. This last point seems obvious to me, but might not be for gardeners trying to grow fragile non-native plant species.
Snakes and loss of habitat are the greatest threat to toads, which can live for up to ten years in the wild. Try attracting them rather than moving them into your garden from another environment, as they likely won’t survive. Many toads and frogs will secrete poison to make themselves unpalatable to enemies, so it’s not recommended that you kiss them to see if they’re princes in disguise.
In my, um, haphazard landscaping there have been cycles of mosquitoes, tree frogs, garter snakes, voles, spiders. Each one arrives quietly, becomes a pest, and attracts its predator. I don’t poison anything–I take that back, I poisoned a wasp nest under my deck after the tortfeasors stung me–so the disappearances must be accounted for by natural attrition . . .
I think it’s a moveable feast.
P.S. I can see I’ve been going about this prince thing the wrong way.
I think toads are delightful creatures, always have. There is one in the yard now, been back there for about three years. We made him a cottage from a flowerpot under a bush in the back corner, but his mail has to be delivered to us, since there is no mailbox. Any creature that eats it’s weight in slugs is okay with me! I haven’t seen a slug all Spring and it has been wet.
Why am I not surprised? Tried to photograph the first toad I’ve seen yesterday on the way up the mountain. The fella wouldn’t stay still. Kept hopping up and under and around things and the company started getting impatient perhaps… Glad you found one!
I love the little toads and frogs we get here, including the American Toad. I saw one the other night hopping around my potted plants. Hopefully he was keeping the slugs I am so fond of at bay LOL
~Jessica~
Gerry I like your idea of a moveable feast 🙂 You haven’t been kissing the toads have you??!!
Robin, I love the idea of ‘toad homes.’ Apparently the ones that are offered for sale are usually too small for the average toad to fit in. Homemade is best. Sounds like the slug problem is under control in your garden.
Kathy, yes these toads are hoppers but at least they’re don’t leap as much as the frogs. Did you first ask if you could take his photograph? 🙂
Jessica, the little ones are really cute aren’t they? But I’m sure they grow big pretty fast on a diet of juicy slugs.
I forgot to ask! That was the problem. Thanks for the reminder… 🙂
I’ve had so many little ones all over the yard…good thing they hop and get my attention…I’d feel awful if I stepped on one! I never knew they could live so long!
Seashellsbymillhill, I’d feel awful if I stepped on a toad too. Many, many years ago I was mowing grass with a push mower and was horrified when I churned a frog through the blades. I wonder how many frogs and toads meet their end through lawnmowers.
Bring on the toads!
Eat up all the “skeeters!” Yay!!!
Amy, I never knew a toad could be such a lovely photo subject!
Robin, I like your description of the Toad Cottage. Sounds delightful. Ever thought of building more and advertising them in “The Anura Weekly?”
Gerry, are you looking for a prince? Maybe you should put an ad in the Personals in “The Anura Weekly!”
From Wikipedia:
“Although in modern versions the transformation is invariably triggered by the princess kissing the frog, in the original Grimm version of the story, the frog’s spell was broken when the princess threw it against a wall in disgust.[1] In other early versions it was sufficient for the frog to spend the night on the princess’s pillow.”
I don’t think I like ANY of those alternatives, but I remember an old saying, “You may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the handsome prince!” So, pucker up!!!
Ha ha Joan 🙂
The original Grimm fairy tales were pretty dark. I too had heard of the toad being thrown against the wall. What a nasty princess. But kissing toads and frogs is a bit of nasty business too.
very enlightening. it reminded me of when i was in elementary school and we took care of toads in terraniums. then at the end of the year, we were allowed to take them home. i often took mine out to the backyard, for exercise i guess. then one day i turned around for a second and it was gone!
i’m glad it was able to get away though.
Wind, by introducing your toad to a new habitat you probably made the other toads happy too by providing a new set of genes to their pool. Too small a gene pool is one of the biggest problems among frogs and toads, causing mutations that often bring about premature death.
[…] Vernal pools created by toppled trees and an uneven forest floor collect rainwater and provide a habitat for amphibians and a greater variety of plants. (For more information on attracting amphibians back to your yard, see my post on Why Every Princess Needs a Toad in her Garden). […]
I love toads ! Can’t wait to get working on my garden. I think a pond is in order.
Sybil, I wonder when it was that toads started getting a bad rap. They’re great to have around once summer’s here and the ants are on the prowl.
I’ve never had a pond but one of my neighbors did and found them very high maintenance. You could always start with a small one. There’s nothing like the sound of trickling water to perk the ears of wildlife.
[…] yard friendly to these creatures goes a long way to controlling some of the ant population. See Why Every Princess Needs a Toad in her Garden and The Flying […]
There was a toad on my hosta today, at first I thought it was a leaf, it was a leaf shaped toad. Does any one know what kind he is.
Merry, glad you were able to identify this one as a peeper. They are sweet little creatures.