Attracting Frogs To Garden Pond

Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: bringing frogs to a pond

- Anne Swithinbank

Q We were excited to find a pond when we moved into our garden six years ago, and expected frogs and even toads to come and breed in it. We’ve seen a few newts in the water and one or two toads in the garden, but not one frog. We’ve never seen spawn or tadpoles. How do we attract them in?
Stephanie McLaughlin, Bounds Green, Haringey

A Coming across our amphibious friends is a lovely surprise, and these useful creatures eat slugs and other pests. According to data collected by the RSPB between 2014 and 2018, there was a 17% reduction in the regular sightings of common frogs and a 30% reduction of common toads spotted in British gardens. Causes could be loss of habitat and also diseases. For a while, garden ponds lost popularity and many were filled in. As you have found, not all ponds attract frogs and toads.