How to build a winter toad hide

Looking for more ways to stay busy in autumn? Check out 10 ways to get ahead in the garden in autumn.

Follow these simple steps to create a winter toad hide.

You Will Need

• Garden spade
• Autumn leaves
• Stones
• Bricks
• Old plastic lid

Step 1

Dig a rectangular hole to a spade's depth, with a sloping approach.

Step 2

Line the slope and hole with your bricks or tiles for drainage.

Step 3

Lay stones at the top of them at the deepest point.

Step 4

Collect and scatter some dead leaves over the stones. This will add a layer of insulation to keep toads warm over the cold winter months.

Step 5

Lay the plastic lid over the top of the round stones, then place the stone slab directly on top. Ensure there's a small gap between the slab and the brick slop, allowing the toad easy access to the shelter.

More autumn wildlife jobs

• Make your own fat balls or cakes for birds to keep them going through the winter
• Avoid pruning berry-bearing shrubs such as Viburnum opulus, so that birds and small mammals can feed on the fruits
• Look out for signs of hedgehog activity and leave out tinned cat or dog food for them
• Clean out nest boxes. Use boiling water (not insecticides or flea powder) and a scrubbing brush to kill fleas and other parasites
• Plant a wildlife hedge with bare-root plants like hawthorn, to provide shelter and food for wildlife