Natural Pond Handbook

42 · Pollinators, Dragonflies & Amphibians

Illustration of pollinators at a pond
Flowers, bees, and dragonflies all draw on the pond.

A pond is the best single thing you can add for wildlife. Understanding the residents helps you host more of them.

Dragonflies & damselflies

They spend most of life as aquatic nymphs, then climb a stem to emerge as adults. Provide upright emergent stems (rushes, iris) for emergence and open water for hunting. Still, warm shallows speed their cycle.

Bees & pollinators

Bees and butterflies use ponds for drinking and the surrounding flowers for nectar. Plant native nectar sources around the edge and leave a shallow "bee bath" — a stone in the water they can land on.

Frogs & toads

Amphibians need still, fish-free water to breed; fish eat tadpoles. A separate wildlife pool or a fish-free shelf is ideal. Avoid handling tadpoles and never move them between catchments (disease spread).

Creating habitat

  • Leave a sunny shallow shelf with emergent cover.
  • Stack logs and stones nearby for basking and hiding.
  • Cut marginal plants back gradually, not all at once.
  • Go chemical-free; even "pond-safe" treatments disrupt the web.
Attracting pollinators to your pond
  1. Plant for sequential bloom: species flowering from March to October.
  2. Include flat-topped flowers: yarrow, wild carrot, fleabane — landing platforms for insects.
  3. Leave bare soil patches near the pond for ground-nesting bees.
  4. Provide a shallow water source: a dish with pebbles and water for bees to drink.
  5. Never use pesticides within 10 m of the pond.