Well Hello!
July 25, 2009
Last week we had a unique visitor to the garden. Now we are used to having a lot of visitors to the garden but this is a first. Pictured is the albino toad that visited. He particularly liked hanging out with the gnomes near the side entrance. Albino toads do not survive well in nature simply because they lack the natural pigmentation that provides camouflage thus making them easy prey. This one has likely survived because not only is he nocturnal he is inhabiting our gardens that aren't lit at night. The only outdoor lighting we use is solar garden lighting so the gardens aren't brightly lit giving this little guy lots of hiding spots.
Toads should be actively encouraged in your gardens. They are ideal for controlling a vast array of insects and they don't cause any problems. Toads breath through their skin so are very susceptible to insecticides especially slug bait. If you are gardening organically which you should be your toads will be safe and enjoy their garden stay. Part of the Hippocratic Oath in medicine states "do no harm". This idealogy should be extended to gardening as well. Gardeners are stewards of the land so should seek to control pests in the least damaging method possible.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2009
I like frogs and toads but they rarely stay still long enough for photographs.
ReplyDeleteThis is good advice. Anyway, toads are welcome in my garden too. They help to eat up the mosquitoes.
ReplyDeleteIs he still in your garden?
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see an albino toad! We have some toad houses that we put around our garden. I love to have them so they help with the bugs. -Jackie
ReplyDeletenice info..keep the blog update..
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I haven't seen such a sharp yellow coloured frog.Anyways nice visitor to your garden.
ReplyDeletethanks,
anisha
That's sign of goodness for your garden....
ReplyDelete