Encouraging Frogs And Newts In The Garden Pond

Easy access matters most. A shallow, gently sloping edge lets amphibians move in and out of the water without difficulty, while steep, hard-edged ponds can be surprisingly difficult for them to use. Nearby damp, shady spots, a log pile or a compost heap close to the pond, give them somewhere to shelter and hibernate once they leave the water for the colder months.

Feeding is straightforward but worth getting right. Meaty cat or dog food, or a specialist hedgehog food, is a better choice than bread and milk, which can cause digestive upset. A shallow dish of fresh water left out overnight is just as useful as food, particularly during dry spells in summer.

For gardeners wanting an alternative to chemical sprays, GardenWildlife a soil-applied option is worth considering as a first step, and a good starting point is a range of slug nematodes for gardens suited to the pest in question.

Frogs and newts are useful garden residents, feeding on slugs and other insects, and their presence is generally a good sign that a pond is in reasonable health. Attracting them is mostly a matter of getting the habitat right rather than anything more involved.

Stocking the pond with the right planting from the start makes a noticeable difference to how quickly it settles. A good place to begin is a considered selection of pond plants suited to the pond's size and depth.

Whole peanuts should be avoided if fledglings are likely to be fed them directly, as they present a choking risk; a mesh feeder that breaks nuts into smaller pieces is the safer option. Hygiene is just as important as food choice: cleaning feeders regularly and moving their position from time to time helps reduce the build-up of bacteria that can spread between visiting birds.