{"id":15676,"date":"2025-07-07T16:31:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T16:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/?p=15676"},"modified":"2025-07-10T21:06:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T21:06:33","slug":"5-steps-to-creating-a-backyard-haven-for-toads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/en\/5-steps-to-creating-a-backyard-haven-for-toads\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Steps to Creating a Backyard Haven for Toads"},"content":{"rendered":"

A whopping 41 per cent of amphibians at risk across the planet; that\u2019s nearly half of our slimy, hoppy friends facing an uncertain future! Among these vulnerable creatures are toads.<\/p>\n

Canada is home to five toad species: the American Toad, Western Toad, Great Plains Toad, Fowler\u2019s Toad and Canadian Toad. If you\u2019ve ever mixed up toads and frogs, here\u2019s the key difference: while both need water for breeding, toads spend most of their adult lives on dry land. That means you might spot one hopping around your backyard, even if the nearest lake is kilometres away. If you do spot one on your property, consider yourself lucky. Toads have a voracious appetite for pesky bugs. Free insect control? Sign me up! If you\u2019re ready to roll out the red carpet for these beneficial amphibians, we\u2019ve got your complete guide to toad hospitality!<\/p>\n

Do Offer Water<\/h3>\n

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Like all amphibians, water is an absolute essential for toads. Not only do they need it for laying eggs, but toads soak up water through their skin to keep them hydrated. The special skin on their legs and bellies drink up the water (a bit like a sponge). If you\u2019ve got a pond already, you\u2019re ahead of the game. That\u2019s prime real estate for egg-laying. But for those toads simply wishing to cool off or hydrate,\u00a0 a clay saucer tucked into a shady corner of your yard will do the trick. Just remember to keep the water dish clean \u2013 be sure to give the saucer a scrub if you spot any build up.<\/p>\n

Do Give Them a Spot to Hide<\/h3>\n

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There are plenty of predators that think amphibians like toads make the perfect midday snack including snakes, hawks, crows, raccoons and skunks. The good news? You\u2019ve got multiple options for creating the perfect toad hideaway, starting with plants. Adding native shrubs, groundcover and flowers to your garden will offer some natural camouflage for toads, making them harder to spot for predators. You can also create a brush pile in the corner of your yard to give them a spot to take cover. Pile up rocks, logs and branches of different sizes to create the ultimate toad retreat.<\/p>\n

Lastly, you can make a dedicated toad home! You can DIY a toad home following these instructions<\/a>, or simply overturn a flower pot and rest the lip on a rock. The real secret to success is picking the best location. You\u2019ll want to choose a shady spot that naturally collects moisture – near a downspout is perfect.<\/p>\n

Do Give Them Something to Snack On<\/h3>\n
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Photo credit:Pyractomena (firefly beetle) Larvae, iNaturalist, canoegirl16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toads will devour everything from ants to cutworms to beetles, and their appetites are pretty impressive.\u00a0 The American Toad, for example, can gobble up to 100 bugs over the course of one night! That\u2019s like a human polishing off 400 hamburgers in a single day. Impressive, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 To give them all the prey they need to keep their bellies full, plant native plants and be sure to add night-blooming flowers to the mix. White Evening Primrose, Wild Bergamot and Buttonbush are pretty irresistible beacons for moths and other nocturnal insects. You could also add a shelter near your veggie garden!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Use Pesticides<\/h3>\n

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Remember how toads absorb water through their skin? Well, they\u2019ll absorb pesticides the same way. These chemicals don\u2019t just harm toads directly \u2013 they also eliminate the insects that toads depend on for survival. If you really want to help toads in your area, your backyard needs to be a pesticide-free sanctuary. You won\u2019t miss those chemicals anyway \u2013 the toads will handle pest control naturally!<\/p>\n

Do Give Them a Spot to Hibernate<\/h3>\n

Did you know that toads hibernate through the winter months? Using their powerful hind feet, they burrow deep into the soil (sometimes 50 centimetres or more \u2013 below the frost line). There, they\u2019ll hunker down, slow their breathing and heart rates and just rest until spring returns.<\/p>\n

If you want to build a winter abode for toads, start with rich garden soil mixed with compost. Then pop over to your local hardware store for a 10 cm (4 inch) plastic drainage pipe. You\u2019ll need about a 35 cm (14 inch) section.<\/p>\n

Next dig a trench for the pipe, angling it at 30 degrees if possible. One end should emerge about 5 cm (2 inches) above the ground \u2013 that\u2019s your toad\u2019s entrance. Fill the pipe halfway with loose sand, then top it up with leaves. Voila! You\u2019ve just built a cozy home to keep your toad comfy through the winter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A whopping 41 per cent of amphibians at risk across the planet; that\u2019s nearly half of our slimy, hoppy friends facing an uncertain future! Among these vulnerable creatures are toads.…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":15663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[631],"tags":[10211,609,381],"class_list":["post-15676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","tag-amphibians","tag-gardening-for-wildlife","tag-toad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15676"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15679,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15676\/revisions\/15679"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}