Aug 5, 2011 – Tumbling Toads?
QUESTION:
Recently a customer asked me how to get rid of toads in his house. The rear enclosed patio is 4 feet below ground level and, according to him, has a drain on the floor. There are no leaks in the wall that expose the soil, but some mornings he will find toads on the concrete floor. What would be your reasoning behind the toad invasions?
ANSWER:
I am confident that we still have no toxins labeled for toads, and personally I don't think this ever should be the route we take in management of these valuable animals. Of course, cane toads are wreaking havoc with ecosystems in other parts of the world as well as in Florida, and Cuban Tree Frogs are causing environmental problems in Florida as well, as these introduced species are highly predatory and disrupt natural systems. These kinds should be controlled, and killing them may need to be done to preserve other native species. But throughout nearly all of the rest of the U.S. toads are harmless to people and highly beneficial in the landscape. Of course, the dog that gets one in its mouth is going to have a major slobbering session afterward due to the repellent fluids the toads can give off. Sometimes their numbers can get so high when a yard is near a breeding pond that the toads can become a nuisance, but in general they should be preserved.
You indicate this patio is enclosed, but since the toads are finding their way into it there must be some opening for them. Toads are not great climbers, so I wouldn't think they were climbing walls and coming down from above, so the access ought to be somewhere at ground level. A very careful search along the outside perimeter of the patio, concentrating near ground level, should reveal any openings that exist, and these can then be permanently closed with an appropriate barrier material.
Toads are aquatic in their early stage, which is the "pollywog" stage where the young have tails and swim. So, look around too for where some possible sources are, and you may be able to use netting to form a barrier that prevents more toads from coming onto this property from that water environment. Toads are nocturnal and they do seek moist hiding places, so evaluate the property to see where you can eliminate harborages, such as lumber or firewood piled on the soil, yard debris on the soil, or anything else making soil contact that creates that moist, shaded micro-habitat. Eliminating as much of this as possible will reduce the toads on the property.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
Recently a customer asked me how to get rid of toads in his house. The rear enclosed patio is 4 feet below ground level and, according to him, has a drain on the floor. There are no leaks in the wall that expose the soil, but some mornings he will find toads on the concrete floor. What would be your reasoning behind the toad invasions?
ANSWER:
I am confident that we still have no toxins labeled for toads, and personally I don't think this ever should be the route we take in management of these valuable animals. Of course, cane toads are wreaking havoc with ecosystems in other parts of the world as well as in Florida, and Cuban Tree Frogs are causing environmental problems in Florida as well, as these introduced species are highly predatory and disrupt natural systems. These kinds should be controlled, and killing them may need to be done to preserve other native species. But throughout nearly all of the rest of the U.S. toads are harmless to people and highly beneficial in the landscape. Of course, the dog that gets one in its mouth is going to have a major slobbering session afterward due to the repellent fluids the toads can give off. Sometimes their numbers can get so high when a yard is near a breeding pond that the toads can become a nuisance, but in general they should be preserved.
You indicate this patio is enclosed, but since the toads are finding their way into it there must be some opening for them. Toads are not great climbers, so I wouldn't think they were climbing walls and coming down from above, so the access ought to be somewhere at ground level. A very careful search along the outside perimeter of the patio, concentrating near ground level, should reveal any openings that exist, and these can then be permanently closed with an appropriate barrier material.
Toads are aquatic in their early stage, which is the "pollywog" stage where the young have tails and swim. So, look around too for where some possible sources are, and you may be able to use netting to form a barrier that prevents more toads from coming onto this property from that water environment. Toads are nocturnal and they do seek moist hiding places, so evaluate the property to see where you can eliminate harborages, such as lumber or firewood piled on the soil, yard debris on the soil, or anything else making soil contact that creates that moist, shaded micro-habitat. Eliminating as much of this as possible will reduce the toads on the property.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
