GARDENING:
NIGEL COLBORN’S ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR YOUR GARDEN THIS WEEK
The common toad is suffering a population crash and could soon be included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
The causes are habitat loss, expanding urbanisation, road deaths from increased traffic and loss of breeding sites.
You can help by creating hibernation areas in your garden. Toads overwinter in underground refuges such as mouse holes, under tree rootss and along hedge bottoms.
Log piles will help many y creatures, including toads and d bumblebees. You can also o make a ‘ hibernaculum’ (a winter refuge) by scooping a shallow hole in a corner of freee-draining soil and covering itit with a lightweight paving slab.b.
Choose a spot where waterer won’t flood the hollow. Makee sure there’s an access wayy under the slab because toadss are feeble diggers.
And, for comfort, put a layer er of dry sand at the bottom.