In my quest to get rid of the frogs in my garden, I had a brainwave:
They won’t stay if they HAVE nowhere TO stay!
You may notice the frogs in the evenings, sitting under your porch light, or, if you’re unlucky like us, coming into your house. I’d have to guess the frogs are attracted to the light because that’s where all the insects are.
Well, a couple of times I noticed the frogs coming out of the brickwork on the floor at a certain section of my garden. They can squeeze through UNBELIEVABLY tight spaces, so I would not really have thought of looking there before. But the one evening, I was having a braai (or, barbecue, for non-South Africans), and noticed a large frog coming out of the ground. So I thought that getting rid of their living area would force them to move.
I don’t really care if they live next door, I just don’t want them in my house! 😉
So, here’s what I did…
Flush the frogs from their home
I don’t really want to KILL the frogs, just get rid of them. So I wanted to kick them out of their “home” before removing it. So I tried filling the gaps with water. I let the hose run for a LOOOONG time, not believing how deep this hole must have been. It took a while for the frogs to eventually come out, considering they can breathe through their skin (apparently). There were 3 LARGE frogs and 1 baby frog. I helped these frogs find new accommodation by throwing (ok, dropping) them over the wall.
A word of caution: WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING FROGS! Not necessarily because they’re poisonous (I doubt you’ll have poisonous frogs, but don’t take my word for it). When you catch them, they will pee all over your hands…
Fill up the frog house
Next, I took river sand, and attempted to fill up the gaps/hole where the frogs were living. I don’t really think I filled the hole 100% due to having to pour the sand through gaps INTO the hole, but I did a fair job.
Refill the holes
Either the baby frog didn’t enjoy his new home next door, or there were a couple of frogs that I missed, but every now and again I notice a hole where the sand in the gap looks like it’s been dug away. I just top it up with more sand. Any movement below will just help the sand settle in, making space for more. Eventually, no frogs will be able to stay in the hole.
Results
I did this about a month ago, and I’ve only seen the baby frog once. But we haven’t had any frogs coming into our house, so so far so good. Personally, I hope they’re living it up next door. Just don’t tell my neighbour that I sent them.
Moral of the story, if the frogs have nowhere to live, they’ll move on. It’s the reason we have them anyway. The land where they USED to live is now being developed. I feel sorry for them really, but hearing my wife scream is a lot worse for me than worrying about where they’ll live…
Frogs!! noise noise noise-and I’m tired of ear plugs. well i decided to look online this morning after my frog hunting last night. last year the frog moved after I fertilized the area around my pond in the back yard. but this year the pond in the front yard has been more difficult. i put some stuff down to keep snakes away. smells really bad for a few days and yes the frogs stayed away until the smell wore off. i have a tall plastic salt container in the back yard for the water system. i forgot to put the lid on it and found a frog in the bottom. dead from the salt. I’ve read allot of save the frog benefit story across the web but I don’t want them. I built the ponds for the fish and sound of water fountains (not frogs) lol..and the hunt go’s on
z
First let me point out that the picture you have on your website is a toad not a frog. Frogs live in trees or in the water, while toads are land lovers. I am shocked to hear you would even dream of kicking them out of your garden. Toads are great assets to any garden especially where there is a pest problem. They eat a wide variety of bugs that feed on your garden plants as well as mosquitoes. In fact my brother puts toad houses in his garden so they will stay.
I have lived in the country all my life and I have never heard of anyone wanting to get rid of these creatures before.
As far as the “noise they make” honey, thats singing. I love to hear them sing… after it rains on a warm day.
As I see it you must be a city person who doesn’t appreicate nature. If you do live in the country, then you really to find a way to enjoy what you have.
Anyone who is “pro” frog hasn’t been kept up all night, night after night after night by their racket. I can’t sleep, and I can’t function. If I can find the bugger(s) I just might try the darn bleach which I’ve heard will “off” them. I’m not afraid of them (that’s a little silly), but it’s driving me c*r*a*z*y!!!!!
I just can’t get rid of them. This summer is especially hectic, as they have come out in their hundreds, if not thousands.
My neighbours and I feel like we are living in and surrounded by a plague.
Is there really not an easy way of “moving” them along?!
Please help!
Hmmm… I’m not sure. I don’t think you want to poison them (that might even be illegal), and if you’re living near their natural habitat, it might be even harder.
If you DO think of something, be sure to let me know…
UPDATE: Our frogs are “gone”….well, they are still there but they stopped making all that noise after a couple of weeks. Maybe it was mating season?? Quiet frogs I can handle.
We have created a frog haven by digging a dam!!
Now we have this unbearable sing-a-long all hours of the morning! Does anyone know when the mating period starts and ends – hopefully soon.
Anti-Croaking
I hate snakes and the snakes follow the snakes.
If I get rid of frogs I have less chance of a snake visit
I’m guessing you mean “the snakes follow the frogs”? 🙂
Yes I mean snakes follow the frogs
amonia (bleach) works. Wearing gloves, be careful as this is straight and can destroy your clothes etc. Spray gun into where they are hiding and this then draws them out and makes them easy to catch. Wash them immediately and place them away from your bedroom area etc. then continue to spray the areas where you do not want frogs to inhabit with the amonia, remembering when it is wet weather you may need to re apply.
Happy life happy frogs
it works
ammonia is in windex, chlorine is in bleach which is used in laundry cleaning. Are you using bleach or ammonia, just wondering. Frogs are definitely not singing. Sheesh, I know singing and what the little buggers are doing is definitelly not singing. They are LOUD. You finally think you might get to sleep and they start in again. croaking and croaking and croaking. Help!!!!!!!!!
Omg.. Just moved from the country to the city.. The frogs are sooo bad and they drive me NUTS.. They must have tons in each.. “family”.. We got the daddy.. The brother.. And maybe aunt louise.. And they are pissed.. Lol.. Going to try the bleach.. Sumthing has got to give..
HELP!!!!! I woke up this morning with a tiny FROG in my bed !!! my room is in the basement and this past week weve found 2 tiny frogs hoppin around down there WOW but really in my bed ???? HELP HELP HELP ….we live by a huge pond and a running creek i dont mind them outside i dont want to kill them but they CAN NOT be in my house especially my bed