digs, dwellings, and dens

for creepier critters

Frogs, toads, and snakes. Many people think of these slippery creatures as unwelcome additions to the backyard. The truth, however, is that these critters are handy to have around. Their ability to chow down on insect and rodent pests will keep your garden clean and healthy without the need for harmful pesticides. Besides, they add character to any space. So, use these projects to welcome creepy critters to your backyard and let them get to work.

build a pond | toad shelter | snake den

build a pond

how to | upkeep

Frogs and toads drink by absorbing moisture through their skin. They also need just the right amount of water to raise their young. They're often so hard-pressed for water that they pick unsafe places like swimming pools as living quarters.

Building a pond can be an ideal way to attract toads, salamanders, and frogs to your backyard. Keep in mind that frogs need to hibernate every winter, and it takes at least three years for tadpoles to develop into adult frogs. So, you'll have to provide them with a permanent body of water - with at least one section 2 m deep - if you want these amphibians to survive beyond their first summer.

how to:

  • First check with your local by-laws inspector to see that there aren't any restrictions on building this type of pool in your area.
  • Find a partially shaded (not deep shade) spot in your backyard that gets no more than four hours of direct sunlight a day. Otherwise, the algae growth in your pond could get out of hand.
  • Before you start digging, make sure the pond will be within reach of a garden hose. (You'll need to add water during periods of low rainfall or freshen up the water if it gets stagnant in late summer.) It's also a good idea to build your pond close to a garden or unmown section of your lawn, which will draw plenty of bugs and keep amphibian occupants well fed.
  • Excavate a hole at least 3 m x 3.5 m x 0.5 m deep, giving at least one side a gradual slope. (For overwintering frogs it must be at least 2 m deep in spots or you will need to install a pond aerator to keep it from completely freezing in winter.)
  • Remove any stones or sharp objects and line the bottom with sand to a depth of 5 cm.
  • Cover the surface with a 45-mil EPDM rubberized pool liner, black in colour, and put a little soil on top. Weigh down the outer edges of the liner with flat stones and enough soil that vegetation will grow around the border.
  • If using preformed ponds, which often have steep sides, add rocks or logs to allow frogs and toads to climb out of the pond.
  • Fill the pond with water. If your water is chlorinated, let it stand for a week before proceeding.
  • Add aquatic plants. Aquatic vegetation can be planted in pots, then submerged at varying depths in the pond.
  • Plant grasses around the edge of your pond to attract insects for hungry amphibians.
  • Place a small island of rocks about 1 m from the edge of the pond as a resting spot for frogs and dragonflies.
  • Don't be disappointed if amphibians don't take up residence in your backyard pond right away. Sometimes they're slow to expand their ranges.
  • Never catch frogs or toads and relocate them to your pond. Amphibians have been known to travel more than three kilometres to return to the pond where they grew up.
  • If the safety of small children is a concern, you may want to install a fence around the pond.

upkeep

  • Top up the pond water during dry spells. Freshen the water if it becomes stagnant in late summer. It is best to let the water sit for a week before adding it to your pond to allow the chlorine to evaporate. Alternatively you could use water collected in a rain barrel.
  • Remove fallen leaves in the spring and fall to prevent fouling of your pond.
  • If you use a recirculating pump, remember to clean the filter once a week. (These pumps, which create the sound of running water, will attract birds to your pond.)

toad shelter

toad home | toad hole | toad winter residence

Toads feed on insects and other invertebrates. They're particularly fond of slugs, sowbugs, earwigs, cutworms, and gypsy moths. In fact, nearly 90 per cent of a toad's diet consists of garden pests. In a single growing season, a busy toad can consume more than 10,000 of these uninvited guests. Toads like to hide in cool, dark places during the day and come out a night to hunt. Not surprisingly, they avoid pesticide-ridden, manicured lawns. The following accommodations will get high ratings from backyard toads:

toad home

  • Use an old clay pot about 20 cm in diameter.
  • Make an entrance by gently knocking a semicircular section 8 cm wide x 4 cm high out of the edge of the pot. (First drill a number of holes where the opening will be and then knock it out with a hammer.)
  • Place the pot upside down in a shady spot near a source of water.
  • Click here for illustration of toad home.

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toad hole

  • Dig a roughly square hole about 25 cm x 25 cm in the ground.
  • Cover the floor of the hole with sand.
  • Use flat stones to make sides and a ceiling. The resulting chamber should be no more than 20 cm x 20 cm.
  • Use a 12 cm long section of 7.5 cm diameter pipe as an entrance leading diagonally into the hole.
  • Shade the opening with a small plant.
  • Check the toad hole regularly for signs of damage.

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toad winter residence
While frogs are happy to pass the winter at the bottom of a pond, toads are terrestrial hibernators: they'll dig deep into soft garden soil, beneath the frost line, to spend the long, freezing months in dormancy. To make your backyard even more amphibian friendly, dig a hibernaculum for toads.

  • Excavate a hole at least 1 m square x 1 m deep.
  • Fill the entire hole with soft sand.
  • You can cover the surface with compost to keep the hibernaculum warmer and give overwintering toads additional protection from freezing temperatures.

snake den
Snakes eat mice, birds, grubs, and slugs and provide food for owls, hawks, and many mammals. So these cold-blooded animals are an important link in several food webs and consequently are worthy of our attention. Caring for them in winter involves re-creating the subterranean dens and cavities in which many hibernate to survive.

  • Dig a hole 2 metres deep and 1.5 metres square in a warm, sunny clearing next to a woodlot. It's important that water does not accumulate at the bottom of the pit. Otherwise, it will likely freeze and kill the animals.
  • Loosely fill the pit with logs and stumps, brush, and boards, mixed with leaves and soil. Or, to accommodate snakes that prefer to hibernate in rock mounds and cavities, fill with large odd-shaped rocks. There should be plenty of cavities left for the snakes to move around.
  • Cover the pit with a one-metre-high mound of brush, leaves, and soil for further insulation and protection from predatorsflower