As of: February 22, 2024, 7:30 p.m
By: Ines Alms
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Mild temperatures attract toads and other amphibians to their spawning grounds.
If you find such an animal in your garden, your help is sometimes needed.
The weather is humid, February is mild - a starting signal for toads to start migrating to the spawning grounds again.
“We have been observing for days that toads, frogs and newts are on the move, especially along the Rhine,” explains Sascha Schleich from the
German Nature Conservation Association (NABU)
.
The animals usually only migrate a few weeks later.
As soon as the night temperature rises above five degrees, the animals set off.
And on their way they sometimes end up in gardens, on cellar stairs and in house shafts.
What should be done with the animals?
If the animal is not in distress: just leave it alone
Toads starve or dry out in light shafts or on cellar stairs if they are not discovered and rescued in time.
© CHROMORANGE/Imago
Thousands of frogs and toads die on roads every spring as they migrate to spawning waters.
Mostly in car traffic, but sometimes elsewhere too.
Occasionally the animals can also be found in gardens while passing through.
As long as the amphibians do not stray into the house, they should be left where they are.
Apart from small detours, the animals have a good sense of direction.
It is also not allowed to take them into the house, for example. You should only take action if the animal is injured.
Since common toads, for example, are very useful animals and even eat snails, healthy animals are best kept in the garden.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
If toads or frogs fall into a cellar or light shaft and cannot get out on their own, you should help the animal out.
It is best to place it in the immediate vicinity in a place protected from cats, for example under a hedge, a thorny bush, a pile of branches or stones, recommends the amphibian advice center
info fauna
on its website.
Find a toad or newt on a road, observe the animal's direction of travel and then place it in a sheltered spot a few meters from the road in that direction.
Defuse the trapping effect of shafts and cellar stairs
A long-term preventive solution here is to cover the house shafts with insect-proof grilles.
Even the smallest gaps should be sealed, as young amphibians
only need a few millimeters to slip in, according to
BUND Nature Conservation .
Regularly check the bottom of the shafts for animals, especially in autumn and spring.
Larger stones or a plank with a rough surface help toads overcome the stairs to the top.
If possible, the incline of a board should not exceed 45 degrees.