Toad Abodes for Your Yard

Why would you want to have more toads in your yard? We are in the middle of summer and in the height of bug season! My yard has seen almost 5" of rain this week and I expect to see a rise in mosquitoes in a couple of weeks. I've already battled or tolerated Japanese beetles, leaf hoppers and spider mites this summer season. I don't use chemicals in the yard because of my wildlife habitat. My backyard birds, fish, and dragonflies are a big help. But do you know how helpful toads can be in the fight against unwanted insects? 

After reading this you may want to consider encouraging a toad or two to take up residence in your backyard or garden. One toad can eat up to 10,000 insect pests over the course of the summer. Toads like damp, shady areas and need shelter. If you want to attract a toad, you should provide a good home, or “toad abode” for it. Toads need water, too, so you should leave a tray of water near their abode. Line the toad’s home with leaf mold or leaf litter.  Don’t bring toads from elsewhere and put them in your yard (or let loose pet toads). You can find toad abodes at garden centers or online.

You can make your own toad abode using a broken flowerpot or half-bury a large flowerpot on its side in a shady spot. Or arrange flat rocks with a toad-size space underneath. Situate your toad abode in the shade--say, under a bush--and in the dampest spot in your yard, near a gutter downspout, air conditioner drip or in a low spot that collects rainwater.

Adding A Butterfly Garden

When I started landscaping my yard I used the NWF Backyard Wildlife Habitat model concentrating on encouraging birds to my yard. I have a number of nectar producing plants because I planted them to attract the Ruby throated Hummingbird. So Butterfly Bush, Purple Coneflower, Marigold, Aster, Zinnia, Butterfly Weed, Lantana, Daisy, Hibiscus, Glossy Abelia, Yarrow, Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis, Daylilies, Redbud, Rosemary, Lavender, Verbena, and Phlox have been in my yard for a while (and others too many to name). Different species of butterflies have different preferences of nectar, in both color and taste. By planting a wide variety of food plants I hope to attract a larger diversity of visitors.

Last year I decided I would add some host plants to my garden this year in order to increase the amount of butterflies that come to my yard. Partly from spending time working in the Butterfly House at Cypress Gardens I learned host plants are as important as nectar plants. It will be a slow process to add host plants; but I made a start this year by adding Milkweed, Cassia, and Passion vine for butterflies to lay eggs and provide food for the caterpillars. Some females are picker than others about the plant they will use as host for their eggs. It turns out that my Tulip Popular tree I brought from Georgia is a host plant for the Tiger Swallowtail and the parsley I plant for my own use (and extra) attract the Black Swallowtail as does Queen Anne's Lace that is already in my plantings.

There are other ways to attract butterflies to your yard.

Fruit Feeders:
I've started using overripe fruit, allowed to sit for a few days to attract some butterflies. Some species that like rotting fruit: Red Spotted Purple, Question Mark, Mourning Cloak, Green Comma, Malachite, Red Admiral, Hackberry and Tawny Emperors, and the Viceroy. There are many ways that you can serve up the fruit to butterflies. Some people use a bird suet feeder to hold over-ripe rotting fruit hanging from a tree branch. Others have taken a plant saucer or flat bird feeder and used a plant hanger to hang the saucer/feeder from a tree branch. You could also place an old dish or flat bird feeder out on a deck railing or table with some old fruit cut or lightly smashed in it. I put my fruit in a flat bird feeder tray and hang from my bird feeder in the sun/shade away from the house; because the fruit will also attract insects. The fruit has sun part of the day and shade part of the day. The fruit needs to remain moist so I add a little water, Gatorade, fruit juice or even beer to the plate of fruit. I don't a flood the plate, just make a moist fruit mush.

Mud Puddles:
Butterflies, especially the males, are attracted to moist mud where they will often congregate to find minerals and salts that supposedly increase their fertility (this is called "puddling"). I've tried making a puddle by filling a plant saucer with sand, rocks and water. Not making a "lake" of water but rather a moist muddy type spot. Adding some compost (or a little bit of manure) can help attract butterflies. The biggest challenge is keeping it moist during the hot summer. I've never seen the butterflies there but just this week I saw them at a natural puddle in the yard after a hard rain.

Basking Stones:
Butterflies need heat to fly and they use the sun to warm themselves. If you see a butterfly just "resting" with its wings open toward the sun, it is almost certainly basking in the warmth. I haven't had to add these to the yard because our waterfall and paved paths already provide this type of resting place. I've only seen butterflies basking on the stone occasionally though but the rocks and paths do add some visual interest to the garden.

I don't uses butterfly houses for over wintering butterflies or for providing protection. They can be quite beautiful, but they are rarely used. Butterflies prefer to use trees, shrubs, logs, wood piles and other natural settings for winter and storm protection. This doesn't mean you shouldn't add a butterfly house since they can be a thing of beauty and interest in a garden, but don't be disappointed if it is never used.

6 tips for Starting a Wildlife Garden

Now is a great time to start planning your garden and making additions. While you are in the planning stage consider starting a wildlife garden. Have you wanted to see more birds and butterflies in your yard year-round but don’t want to spend a lot of cash? Here are some tips on how to get started with out breaking the bank.

I developed my wildlife habitat over many years having to start with a nearly blank slate. Only 2 pine trees, one spindly oak tree were left by the builder and a large area of newly planted grass. Not much in the way of food, water or shelter for birds, butterflies or other wildlife in the yard. I started planting trees and shrubs adding feeders and nesting boxes all at once when I moved in but you can start on a smaller scale for a lot less money.

1. If your not sure this type of gardening is for you start small by planting a container garden filled with nectar-rich plants like lantana, floss flower and fuchsia. Then later you can add plants to your landscape on a larger scale.
2. Birds are attracted to water so build a small size pond using a whiskey barrel or something of similar size. If you can add a bubbler or something else to make movement in the water you will attract more birds. To use as a bird bath you will need to have a shallow area for the birds and a place for them to perch.
3. As you add to your landscape take advantage of late-season sales to acquire perennials, trees and shrubs as a discount price in the fall. Buy and plant wildlife favorites in the fall and you will be able to attract more birds and butterflies for next year.
4. Try and rescue native plants from local construction sites when you see them. Ask the developers if you can remove them before they are bulldozed. They are often happy to oblige. We had a house in Georgia that had plants rescued from a neighboring lot under construction.
5. Avoid insecticides whenever possible. This will allow beneficial insects to your backyard. You may suffer a little more damage in your garden but its worth it when you consider many birds like wrens, bluebirds and robins look at bugs as their favorite food.
6. Save money by not buying seed. Plant your landscape with seed- and berry- bearing plants like sunflowers, viburnums, coneflowers, zinnias, black-eyed Susan’s, blueberries and Cosmos.

Try one or all of these tips and in no time you will be attracting more birds, butterflies and other wildlife to your yard or garden.