Common Toad
Warty-skinned, terrestrial relatives of frogs that are outstanding slug predators. Toads are more drought-tolerant than frogs and forage widely through the garden at night.
Why you want them
Toads are among the very best natural slug predators. Unlike frogs, they are fully terrestrial for most of the year and tolerate drier conditions, making them effective in a wider range of garden habitats. A single toad eats up to 100 insects and slugs per night during peak summer. They return to the same garden year after year if undisturbed shelter is available, becoming permanent allies. They also consume woodlice, beetles, ants, and other invertebrates that frogs do not target.
Helps control
How to attract them
- Toad house (half-buried terracotta pot)
- Damp sheltered corners
- Log and stone piles
- Garden pond for breeding
- Dense ground cover
Preferred habitat
Terrestrial habitats with damp shelter - under stones, in compost heaps, beneath dense vegetation, and inside log piles. They need a pond for spring breeding but spend the rest of the year on dry land, even some distance from water.
What harms them
Loss of breeding ponds, road mortality during spring migration, slug pellets containing metaldehyde (which can kill toads that eat poisoned slugs), netting, and habitat loss.
Related pest guides
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.