Frogs: your garden's night-shift pest patrol

A frog in the garden is a sign you've got it right. These little hunters work the night shift, and because frogs breathe and drink through their skin they're extremely sensitive to chemicals — so where frogs are thriving, you know your patch is a healthy, safe one.

What they eat

Slugs and snails, slaters, mosquitoes, moths, flies and all manner of insects. One frog gets through a surprising number in a single night.

How to welcome them

• Water is the big one — even a small, shallow pond or a half-buried dish with a gently sloping edge (so they can climb out) gives them somewhere to shelter and breed.
• Add damp, shady spots and a bit of leaf litter for cover.
• Keep sprays right out of the garden — frogs absorb everything through their skin.

Frogs are protected native wildlife, so enjoy having them about, but leave them where they are. For the full approach, see our guide to managing pests the safe way.

Image: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.