9
For winter cover you can
create a hibernacula by digging
a pit (3 ft. wide by 6 ft. long
and up to 18 in. deep is ideal)
and filling it with loosely
packed sticks and rocks. Leave
lots of spaces and layer with
leaves and wood chips. Add a
layer of soil and mulch and top
with straw or wood chips.
Salamanders and newts will
look for daytime hiding places
such as dead logs. Dragonflies
will come if the water is kept
clean, and bees will be attracted
by the flowering plants. Like the
frogs, many insects which are
attracted to water
environments, including water
beetles and damsel flies, will
make your life more pleasant by
eating many mosquito larvae.
The toads are especially
helpful in cutting down on
populations of harmful garden
pests.
Birds will also come to the
pond, and if you have flocks of
30 or more you should
consider a pond at least 8 by
15 ft., so that it doesn’t
become overly contaminated by
their droppings.
As discussed previously, be
sure that part of the pond is
very shallow and has rocks just
below the surface for perching if
you want to attract birds.
How About Fish.
Many pond owners choose to
add fish, but you need to
consider some of their
drawbacks as well as their
beauty. While they eat
mosquito larvae, they also eat
the eggs of amphibians and
insects.
They will provide easy meals
for herons and raccoons, an
important consideration if you
have spent a lot of money on
the fish. Don’t overstock your
pond or it will be out of balance
ecologically.
Wait several weeks to let the
pond settle before introducing
any fish, and plan on only one
inch of fish per five gallons or
per sq. ft. of water surface
unless you are using pumps
and filters.
Overfeeding will also pollute
the water. Don’t give them more
than they can consume in five
to ten minutes. Once the pond
is stabilized and balanced with
plants, there shouldn’t be much
need to feed the fish at all.
Feeder goldfish are hardy and
inexpensive, compared to koi
which cost a great deal, need
water at least 4 ft. deep, and
require a lot of care and
attention. Species such as
Gambusia (mosquito fish),
Rosy Minnows, or Three-spined
Sticklebacks are more
appropriate if you want to
maintain a native ecosystem.
Sometimes construction
techniques and materials can
seem overwhelming to nature
lovers who just want to provide
water for the local fauna.
To illustrate how feasible a
simpler approach is, we have
only to look at the experience
of one WindStar Master
Wildlife Habitat Naturalist. He
fully intended to build an
elaborate pond system,
complete with waterfall, in his
suburban yard, but he had to
stop temporarily after only
digging a shallow depression in
the ground.
Before long deer, rabbits,
frogs, birds, and a variety of
other creatures were
appearing regularly to take
advantage of the rain water
that collected there! Pond
aesthetics are geared to
people; wildlife just needs the
water.
RESOURCES
s
The Complete Pond Builder, Helen Nash (recommended by
many pond owners)
s
How to Attract Birds, Ortho Books (creative birdbath ideas)
s
Garden Ponds, David Squire
s
Water Gardening, Ken Druse
s
The Rock and Water Garden Expert, Dr. D. G. Hessayon
s
Gardening with Native Wild Flowers, Samuel Jones and
Leonard Foote (good list of native aquatic plants)
This article was written by
Maryland Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist
Cathy Gilleland.
For more information or for the
name of a Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist in your area,
please contact:
WindStar Wildlife Institute
10072 Vista Court
Myersville, Maryland 21773
Phone: (301) 293-3351
E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
http://www.windstar.org
WindStar Wildlife Institute is a
national, non-profit,
conservation organization whose
mission is to help individuals
and families establish or
improve the wildlife habitat on
their properties.
