Frogs will love your garden if you follow RSPCA advice and place simple item outside

Frogs will love your garden if you follow RSPCA advice and place simple item outside There is an easy way to entice frogs and toads to your garden Now that we're heading into autumn, it's becoming more and more important to protect wildlife and give them a good chance at thriving. It won't be long before the weather starts to turn, making it more difficult for animals to find food and shelter. We can do our bit by placing simple items outside that animals are likely to flock to. And if you want to attract frogs and other pondlife but don't have space outdoors for an actual pond, the RSPCA has the perfect alternative. The experts say you can easily make a mini-pond, which is great for enticing frogs, toads and newts all year round. You don't need much equipment, and it comes together in minutes, making it the perfect activity for a gloomy afternoon. Why you should entice frogs to your garden Although they may not look very pleasant, frogs are actually incredibly important to the environment. They're predators of many insects, including those that live around freshwater like mosquitoes. And in other areas like rainforests, they are prey for bigger animals, including birds and snakes. Writing for the BBC, wildlife filmmaker Steve Greenwood said: "Without frogs the whole of the ecosystem would change forever." He also says that they are 'important measuring sticks' of a healthy environment. Frogs and toads can absorb chemicals into their skin, making them at risk of falling ill due to pollution. So if they're in trouble, it's a key red flag sign that something is wrong with the environment. This appears to be the case, as frogs and toads are some of the most endangered animal species in the world, with over 40% of all amphibian species currently threatened with extinction. How to make a mini pond So, if you want to help amphibians to thrive, consider adding a mini pond to your garden. All you need is a large watertight container, some gravel, and some small pond plants. Choose where you want to put the pond in your garden, then fill it with water - preferably rainwater. If the edges are level with the ground, more creatures can get in and out. But if you leave it above ground, make a ramp or use bricks, rocks or logs to create steppingstones in and out of the pond. Put a layer of gravel along the bottom, then start filling it with plants. Put them in aquatic plant pots with mesh sides, and make sure to use aquatic soil too. Two or three plants is the maximum for a pond this size, with the experts suggesting Water Forget-me-not, Lesser Spearwort and Marsh Marigold. Then, just sit back and see what arrives. It might take a few weeks for the pond to mature, but you may end up spotting frogs, toads and newts swimming in it.