Outdoor Pond – Tips For Building A Wildlife Pond
Clean waters and fish are probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of an outdoor pond. It’s very rare to find an adventurous soul that will take the challenge of creating a wildlife outdoor pond.
What is a wildlife pond? You can think of a wildlife pond as a self-sustaining ecosystem. A corner of your backyard where nature is in control and you are only an observer.
How to create a wildlife outdoor pond?
1. Wildlife need undisturbed access to your pond, select a spot by the edge of your backyard, close to nature.
2. Follow the building tips described below.
3. Place naturally rich water into it.
4. Let it be with least interference.
5. Wait until nature turn your backyard corner in your own private bog.
What can you expect? Well, if you take care of the details, you will have an autonomous ecosystem filled with a variety of living creatures and with little need for maintenance at all.
Guidelines to build a wildlife pond. You can use informal ponds plans and ideas to build a wildlife pond, but there will be no need for filters and aeration as your ecosystem will naturally take care of this. To attract toads and other types of wildlife your pond needs a healthy population of insects, therefor your pond won’t have fish in it, as they will destroy your insect population.
The best place to locate your wildlife pond is at an edge of your backyard, as close as possible to nature. But avoid problems, far from your house and neighbors property as the pond will attract insects, toads and other animals.
To create natural hiding places for the wildlife you want to attract, keep the vegetation around your pond as high and untidy as possible, but allow human access to enjoy and take care of it.
A secret ingredient that will make the difference. Find a naturally occurring wildlife pond, take some water from it and introduce it into your pond. The organisms you got from the natural pond will populate your newly created wildlife pond.
What kind of creatures will you attract? The water you took from a natural pond will kick start a rich population of insects. First comers will probably be pond skaters later followed by dragonflies. The next step is the arrival of toads, frogs and birds, the insect predators. You can buy toads and snails and introduce them to your pond, but make sure to keep the balance of your ecosystem. If the mosquito population starts to get out of control, you can add snails to keep them water clean of their eggs.
Wildlife ponds are not a common option for backyard ponds, but if well created it can be a unique addition to your backyard design.
Looking for some ideas and inspiration for your outdoor pond, then visit pond-building-mastery.com to find essential tutorials, know-how and tips about pond building.
A natural wildlife pond is a fantastic idea and one that I wish I was brave enough to try. Being a provider of pond filtering systems, it definitely would go against my business model! However, I do have a bit of rough land at the back of my garden adjacent to some woods which would make the perfect spot for a wildlife pond, so I might just have a go!
Thanks
James
No matter what you are planning, wildlife will find its way to your pond. I have been running a pond for a few months now and have have a variety of wildlife come to find my pond home. I have grown accustom to this little turtle who now likes to call my pond home.