How to Get Rid of Green Tree Frogs
Contents
- Steps to Keep Frogs Away
- Natural Frog Remedies
- What if a Frog Finds its Way Inside?
- Poisonous Frogs
- In Summary
When you first hear a frog croaking at night, it may invoke memories of childhood fairytales of princesses, or the lovable Kermit and the Rainbow Connection. But, as the frogs grow in numbers, the sheer cacophony of guttural croaking sounds may drive you up the wall. You become sleep deprived, and begin to have daydreams about frog legs in garlic butter. Before you turn to amphibian murder, learn how to keep frogs away from your house.
Steps to Keep Frogs Away
Turn off the Outside Lights
You have probably noticed that insects like to swarm around your outdoor lights when you leave them on in the evenings, which in itself can be a nuisance. But what creature loves to dine on insects? Frogs. Before long, the frog will figure out that your lighting leads to a smorgasbord of insect delights, and the frog will see no need to go elsewhere. So, if you turn off your lights, you will reduce the supply of food for the frog.
Water Drainage
Frogs need a good supply of water to stay alive. As amphibians, they may be able to spend some time on land but they will always need to go back into water. If you have any areas on your property where water gathers and pools, you need to sort out some drainage to remove it. You can also drain any ponds on your property. You may not be so keen on destroying your decorative pond, so alternatively you can place frog-proof mesh over the top of it to keep the frogs out.
Tidy Up Your Yard
If you have tall weeds and grass around your yard the frogs use this as a means of security, because they feel much safer hidden among the greenery than out in the open. By keeping your gardens weeded and your grass mowed, you take away those hiding places and the frogs won't be keen to sit out in the middle of your yard with nowhere to hide.
Window Screens
From time to time frogs can enter your home uninvited, and the easiest way to do this is through your windows. If you absolutely have to have your windows open at night, even just a little, attach screens on the exterior of the frame to keep the frogs out. Regularly maintain your screens and check for any holes, so they can be repaired before a sneaky frog squeezes through.
Tadpole Removal
A frog can lay thousands of eggs and will usually do so near the edge of a pond, or in some cases in a swimming pool. When the eggs hatch, they are tadpoles which grow up to be frogs, if you let them. This may seem a brutal way to keep frogs away, but it is necessary if you really want to have a frog-free zone. Take an aquarium fish net and scoop up any tadpoles you find. Now you have two options: either transfer the tadpoles to a pond that is far away, or, lay them out in the sun and the dry heat will kill them. You may think this is a horrible thing to do, but as mentioned before, frogs lay thousands of eggs so you won't be putting the frog on the endangered list any time soon by killing some babies.
Pet Food
Don't leave any pet food outside overnight. The pet food attracts flies, and flies attract frogs. In fact, don't even leave it out during the day in case a rogue frog is out and about in the sunlight looking for fresh flies. If you can, feed your animals inside.
Make a Frog-Friendly Habitat
If you don't want to cause the frogs any harm but you don't want them underneath your windows croaking all night, you can build a special spot in your garden for the frogs. This works well if you have a large property, because the sounds of the frogs can carry quite far, especially on still nights. To keep the frogs in this one area you can create a barrier using salt or vinegar that will prevent them from leaving.
Be warned though – if you build a place for the frogs, you might end up with an awful lot more frogs!
Bleach Spray
Using bleach to deter frogs is highly effective if used correctly because it is poisonous to frogs and will keep them away. Add your bleach to some water and spray on your porch, doorsteps, and even in your yard to keep them away. You can also spray it directly on to the frog if you want to kill it. The mixture doesn't have to be strong, so a well diluted combination is fine.
Remove Yard Clutter
Frogs will use anything they can to hide from the hot sun and predators, and this includes any wood piles or clutter you have around your yard. Keep everything clean and tidy, and remove any garbage that could be lying around. If you need a wood pile, shift it well away from your house. You will still hear the frogs but it won't be so intrusive.
Fencing Your Property
Where possible, construct a fence to keep the frogs out. Bear in mind that frogs can jump quite high, so it needs to be a good height to keep them from jumping over. Make sure your fence is secured into the ground so they can't get underneath it either. Don't use chain-link or chicken wire though, because frogs can crawl through the gaps.
Check out this video for more ideas:
Natural Frog Remedies
There are a number of natural products you can use to keep frogs away, and when you combine these with the other methods above, you will see a huge reduction in frogs around your home. Here are some natural ways to get rid of frogs.
Salt
Sprinkle some salt around your house, especially near the doors and windows. When frogs touch the salt, it causes an unpleasant feeling in their skin and feet so they won't walk in it. You can also spread some salt around any ponds or waterways you have on your property, but be careful using it around plants as some can be damaged by it.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds have a similar effect on the frog's skin as the salt does. An added bonus is that it will also help get rid of ants. Sprinkle the coffee grounds near your doors and windows and the frogs won't come near them.
Vinegar Spray
You can make a vinegar spray by mixing together equal parts of vinegar and water. Simply spray the mixture where you have seen frogs gathering. It won't seriously harm the frog but it does cause a burning sensation on their feet. This will make them stay away.
Lemon Juice Spray
Like the vinegar spray, mix together equal parts of lemon juice and water and spray in the same manner as the vinegar. Because it is also acidic like vinegar, the lemon juice spray will cause the same burning sensation and deter the frogs.
Hot Water
Hot water sprayed directly onto small frogs will kill them. It's a harsh way of keeping frogs away from your home but if nothing else works, this should be your last resort.
What if a Frog Finds its Way Inside?
Occasionally a frog may enter your home, and there is nothing worse than being able to hear it and know it's in there, but not be able to find it. It's like when you have a cricket in the house…the incessant noise continues, but its hiding spot remains a mystery. Unless you actually see the frog and can catch it, the only other way to get rid of a frog intruder is to use a mouse trap. It won't be a nice ending for the frog, but it's better than finding decaying frogs in your dining room.
Poisonous Frogs
Some frogs are poisonous, but those that are found in the US are usually only poisonous to your pets. The main culprits are the Giant Toad, which is also known as the Marine or Cane Toad, and the Colorado River Toad, also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad. These two poisonous frogs can have a serious health impact on your cat or dog if they come into contact with each other.
If your pet has had contact with these frogs they will exhibit symptoms including foaming at the mouth, vomiting, unsteady walking, diarrhea, fever, irritation of the eyes and nose, weakness, difficulty breathing and collapse. If you think your pet has been poisoned, try and flush out the mouth with running water to stop them from swallowing the frog's venom and seek immediate veterinarian care. Without the proper care, the poisoning can be fatal.
In Summary
One frog calling out at night can be a soothing sort of sound, but for some people it becomes tiresome very quickly. And before you know it, there may be thirty of them out there making the same noise! The only way to solve this is to take the precautionary steps outlined above and keep them away in the first place!
How to Get Rid of Green Tree Frogs
Source: https://www.getridoffrogs.com/2018/08/19/keeping-frogs-away-from-your-house/