Hey everyone! I have a quick question for those of you with ponds or water features in your gardens. Do you notice a decrease in slug populations when frogs and newts are around? I'm thinking about building a small wildlife pond to help attract more wildlife, but I need to convince my wife first since we're expecting a little one soon. She's concerned about the baby falling in. I'm considering a shallow pond located between some fruit trees at the back of the garden—no fish, just plants and a small pump. Any advice or experiences you could share?
3 Answers
In my experience, ponds can help control slug populations, but it really depends on whether you actually attract frogs or newts to your garden. For me, I had a pond with plenty of newts and still dealt with some slugs. Make sure the pond is inviting for wildlife if you go ahead with it! And consider making the pond shallow, especially with kids around!
If you’re worried about safety, you could always put a small fence around the pond to keep the baby safe. Just to answer your question, yes, having a pond can definitely reduce slugs since frogs and toads love to munch on them!
That makes sense! A fence could work well, thanks for the tip.
Honestly, it might be better to wait until your little one is a bit older before building the pond. Kids tend to be very curious about water and can easily fall in. If you build it later, you'll still benefit from the wildlife!
Yeah, I've seen kids get pretty drawn to ponds, for sure! Totally agree with you.
Good point! I’ve heard they can be picky about habitat—definitely something to keep in mind.