You may not realize how much benefit your vegetable or flower garden could receive simply by hosting the humble toad. While some people think of toads themselves as pests, most toads are gentle, shy, and harmless to humans. They are, however, deadly to the insects and undesirable worms that plague your plants. They are an environmentally friendly way to control the insects that damage your plants.

You can encourage your local toads to set up permanent residence in your garden, too. To welcome toads, all you need is a shady spot and a toad house. A toad house is something you can purchase from your garden center, or find from a specialty shop online. You can also make your own toad house. It should have some ventilation, and a large enough door to suit the toads in your garden. Bottomless toad houses are best, as they allow the resident toad to burrow into the ground a bit if he prefers.

You can also set out a small dish, or a concave stone, with water. Toads enjoy soaking in the water, but not swimming, so it should be shallow. Toads are territorial, so once a toad chooses your toad house to live in, he’ll probably stay there for life.