Welcome a Toad into Your Garden

The joy of nature’s surprise comes upon you as you stroll through your yard or garden and the hop of a toad catches your eye. What a joy for young and old to discover one of nature’s most helpful little amphibians.

Encouraging an Appreciation for the American Toad 

The world is full of quips about the brutish looks of a toad, but the truth beyond first glances is that the toad should be celebrated for the value it provides. Research has told us that one American Toad can eat up to 1,000 insects every day. Insect populations including grubs, spiders, insects, slugs, snails, crickets, mealworms, earthworms, ants, centipedes, and moths can be kept in check by the American Toad.

For gardening enthusiasts the arrival of butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden is celebrated. Nature enthusiasts track these pollinators on websites as they make their annual migration from tropical climates to your garden. For the underappreciated American Toad however, he is here all year long just like you, enduring those cold temperatures, from a hibernaculum (underground burrow) below the snow and ice of winter.

Understanding the needs of the American Toad

While toads are traditionally nocturnal, it is not uncommon to see toads during the day in yards and because of this they face additional threats from cars, tractors and lawnmowers.

Unfortunately, the availability of a hibernaculum (underground burrow) in most residential yards is limited. Subdivisions of homes with expansive lawns and over mulched flower beds doesn’t provide all the elements needed for the over wintering or daytime retreat of the American Toad.  The use of our exclusive Toad Tunnel provides a daytime retreat and a hibernaculum for toads. The toad tunnel can be easily added into a mulched flower bed, under a deck or in the garden.  The toad tunnel ensures the toad protection from daytime threats and also an opportunity for toads to over winter in your yard, garden or flower bed.

Have you really lived a full life if you haven’t had a toad pee in your hand?

Few things will evoke a “Eww” as quickly as a little toad pee in the palm of a child’s hand. As children, the opportunity to interact with such a curious little amphibian is a treasured memory of many people. It has been documented that toads in the proper conditions can live to more than 30 years of age.  So it is easy to understand why so many fables and children’s stories included the friendly, wise or social toad.

Welcome an American Toad to your yard or garden 

Although the American Toad isn’t currently facing extinction it is easy to understand that Amphibians such as toads and frogs are indicator species or “bellwethers” for the health of our environment. Frogs and toads absorb moisture through their skin and this makes them especially vulnerable to changes in the atmosphere, the land, and the water.