Frogs are generally harmless animals, but they can be annoying because of the noises they make. Since you’re reading this article, it might be safe to assume that you have a frog infestation problem and want to remedy it immediately.
We do not discredit the contribution of frogs to eliminating bugs because it’s part of their diet. But they produce a lot of noise and can be a real disturbance, especially when trying to get a good night’s sleep.
However, there are surefire solutions for this. In this article, we will provide you with helpful information about the effective removal of frogs from your backyard.
Table of Contents
What are frogs?
Frogs are classified as amphibians – meaning they can live both on land and in water. But their life cycle begins in the water, where the eggs are laid and hatched. They also spend most of their tadpole life in the water until they mature and start adapting to life on dry land.
There are a lot of different frog species, such as water frogs and tree frogs, among others. Because their first natural habitat is water, they like to spend their time near small bodies of water like a pond or a pool.
In other cultures, frogs are raised for meat and eaten by people. Depending on the species, they also come in different colors. As mentioned, they are drawn toward areas with bodies of water such as lakes, river banks, and rainforests – anywhere with a water source. These creatures are a valuable part of the ecosystem and help keep the balance.
The natural habitat of frogs
As we said before, frog eggs are laid and hatched in the water, so they spend most of their young life there. But there are exemptions. Frog species reside in trees and even in the desert out of the more than 5,000 known species. Frogs that live in the desert hibernate during the dry seasons.
Frogs mainly consume insects like small flies: mosquitoes, moths, and may beetles. Upon maturity, they like to stay on moist soil near bodies of water. This is why they like to come out after heavy rain.
What frogs eat
Frogs are generally carnivorous amphibians. Their usual meals consist of crickets, house flies, fruit flies, moths, grasshoppers, worms, springtails, mosquitos, snails, spiders, butterflies, dragonflies, and beetles.
What frogs contribute
Because frogs prey upon insects, they are large contributors to the control of the insect population. They are harmless compared to bats, and there are little to zero chances of having a rabid frog around.
When raised for their meat, they also provide Paleo meat that is rich in low-fat, omega-3 fatty acids essential to our health. The presence of frogs in your garden can also be a good form of natural pest control. Compared to other bug-eating creatures, they do not destroy your plants, and their fecal waste can serve as fertilizer for the soil.
Comparing frogs and toads
This is a very common mistake made by people. They use these terms interchangeably when these are two different animals with distinct differences. In terms of appearance, frogs have smooth and moist skin surfaces and spend most of their time near the water. Toads have dry and rough skin with bumps and live mostly on dry land.
The limbs of frogs are also longer, so their movements are mostly hopping, while toads move by crawling because of their shorter limbs.
For their reproductive process, frog eggs are laid in clusters while toad eggs are in chains. Toads secrete a poisonous substance as a defense mechanism against predators. This substance is harmful to humans and other animals as well. Frogs give off warts, and this is also irritating to humans.
The similarity between the two animals is that they consume insects as part of their diet.
Identify the species
You can often tell what kind of species a frog depends on the type of environment they live in. If you can identify the type of frog or toad, you can change the environment they frequently inhabit if you want to get rid of them.
Your backyard might comfort these animals, which is why they often stay there. If you want to drive them away, then make your backyard an unpleasant place for them.
You can use a general approach when you don’t know how to deal with a specific species of frogs or toads. But it’s easier if you use a specific method to ensure effectiveness.
Check the laws
Due to animal welfare concerns, some frog species are illegal to kill. So you should not be reckless in eliminating whatever frog you find in your backyard if you do not want to get in trouble.
You should always check with the existing laws that govern the management of animal species. Some species should not be killed because they are already endangered; some are invasive and whose population should be controlled. Either way, you should do your research first before doing anything.
Harming one life of a frog or toad that is already classified as endangered may get you in trouble because efforts are being made to preserve their species, and their population is already in low numbers. On the other hand, it’s alright to kill invasive frogs to control their population.
Safety Tips
- Some people have allergic reactions to frogs. It’s best to wear protective equipment that covers your entire body when you deal with frogs.
- Frogs like to stay in places with abundant food sources, so you can assume that there are also flies and mosquitoes in that area. Aside from the protective body equipment, you can also put on some bug repellent spray.
- Be sure to wear protective gear to prevent inhalation of insecticides and pesticides.
First-line management
If this is your first time eradicating frogs from your backyard, you can first begin with these simple and general techniques. These are easy to do and won’t give you much of a hassle to carry out. These simpler remedies are best suitable to be done first before resorting to less humane ways of driving them away.
1. Remove shelter and source of food
Frogs usually stay in areas with tall grasses where they can also hide, and there is also an abundance in the presence of insects. If you eliminate these factors, the frogs will have fewer reasons to remain or return to that spot.
Areas with puddles of stagnant water are attractive to frogs since they can also be good places to lay eggs in. Usually, these places also harbor lots of insects, especially mosquitoes, which is a plus for them.
So the best thing you should do is trim your grass and clear your backyard of any stagnant water sources. With these measures, you hit two birds with one stone. You get rid of the frogs and the insects as well.
2. Eliminate other attractants
Wherever there are insects, frogs are most likely to visit frequently. So it’s safe to say that areas with high insect infestation are also hot spots for frogs. Weeds, debris, and other areas where they can hide.
If you regularly clean your yard, you will not only improve its appearance but will also be able to keep unwanted animals from staying on your property.
3. Limit access to water sources
Moisture and water are essential factors for a frog’s survival. They need constant access to water. Without it, frogs will be dehydrated. You can get rid of water sources in your backyard if you do not want frogs to spend their time on your property frequently.
If these ways are still ineffective, you can resort to other means.
Other humane methods for frog eradication
Frogs make a lot of noise and can be a real nuisance. There is a chance that the first-line management methods may not work for them, so you’ll have to resort to other ways of eradication. Killing them should be the last option, so here are other approaches you can take.
4. Presence of natural predators
The presence of natural predators in the area is a good way to keep frogs away. They do not want to be near snakes, birds, fish, herons, otters, and minks who might prey on them.
You can invite natural predators who are not harmful or dangerous to you, so you’re still safe but enough for frogs to be afraid of and not dare step within your property. Owls are a good example of this. They are quiet and mostly active only during the night.
Your top choices for predators are snakes and owls. These are the two that you can attract to decide which one you are more comfortable with having in your backyard.
5. Build a sturdy fence
If the previous one isn’t an option for you, you can try limiting access to your yard by building a fence to keep unwanted animals away from your property. You should also build a barrier if your yard has a water source.
This will prevent frogs from residing in that body of water you have. Together with physical removal methods, you can drive frogs away, perhaps even permanently, from your property.
The fence or barrier you build should have a fine mesh so that even smaller-sized frogs cannot enter.
6. Other borders
Frogs are small creatures, and their limbs are short as well, so they won’t be able to climb over tall barriers. Aside from a fence, you can add additional borders around small bodies of water in your yard and your property if you have problems with other stray animals entering.
However, this only works for selected frog species. This definitely won’t affect tree frogs because they are experts at climbing tall structures. If your problem pertains to non-climbing frogs, then this could be an effective measure for you to take.
7. Utilize natural repellents
You can formulate frog repellents that send away frogs without causing serious harm or injury.
One example can be coffee grounds or salt. Both can be good repellents to put around the area where frogs often hang around. Vinegar and water are also effective natural repellents, so frogs willingly avoid that area.
When sprayed on the ground, a solution of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water can irritate frogs when they step on it. It produces a burning sensation on the skin but does not cause serious harm. They won’t want to return to that spot again.
Can vinegar repel frogs?
Vinegar is an effective home remedy for frog infestation. They are also effective in keeping frogs away because, being a weak acid, it can cause a burning sensation to the frog’s skin. You can mix equal parts of vinegar and water, put it in a spray bottle and apply it to the areas.
Other home remedies are:
- Citric acid
16 percent of concentrated citric acid sprayed in the areas frequented by frogs can also keep them away from that spot.
- Salt
You may notice that frogs usually stay in freshwater only. That is because saltwater can cause severe dehydration to them. You can dissolve salt in water and store it in a spray bottle for easier application.
- Coffee grounds
Another effective home remedy is the use of coffee grounds. The advantage of this is that it is not harmful to plants, so it’s no problem if ever it gets on your plants. But it harms the frogs when they come into physical contact with it.
8. Snake repellents can also repel frogs
Snakes aren’t exactly neighborhood-friendly animals to have around the area. There are snake-repelling substances available that you can purchase, and you can also use them to repel frogs.
They come in spray form that you can apply in the hot spots where frogs usually stay. Make sure to read and follow the instructions carefully and wash your hands after using them to prevent poisoning because these chemicals are made of chemicals that can be harmful to humans as well.
9. Frog-specific repellents
If the snake repellent is ineffective, there are repellent substances made specifically for frogs. They usually come in granulated pellets and are quite pricey. However, they are proven to be effective.
10. Physical removal
This is probably the most hassle method out of all that we have suggested. But it can also be effective when employed with the fence or barrier method. A direct approach is to catch the frogs using a net and dispose of them somewhere away from your property.
If you have successfully disposed of them and put up a barrier to prevent reentry, you can surely have a frog-free backyard. However, if you still find frogs after some time, there’s a chance that there might be tadpoles somewhere in your yard.
11. Set traps
Now we are on to a less humane but effective method. Surprisingly, mousetraps are also effective in catching frogs aside from mice. These are cheap devices; you can get a lot and set them up in different areas of your yard to cover a lot of ground.
When you set up these traps, you should not let children or other pets loose in your backyard so they won’t be the ones caught in the trap.
12. Hire an exterminator
It’s alright if it’s not within your capability to eradicate these animals. You could hire an expert to do the job if the methods you took did not work.
Exterminators know other humane methods to catch frogs without killing them, but they make use of temporarily disabling chemicals. Research, the trustworthy companies that provide this service in your area.
How to kill frogs
- Freezing is an effective and less brutal way of killing frogs. They aren’t able to survive in extremely cold temperatures, so when they are exposed to such conditions, they go into hibernation, lose consciousness, and then you can kill them, and they won’t suffer.
- Use of gigs. These are multi-pronged claws that can be attached to long handles and used as a spear to impale the frogs. These are best used at night when frogs are out and about. You can use a flashlight to stun them and gig them easier temporarily.
- Salt spreading. Salt and water mixtures can dehydrate frogs, so you can spray them around the areas where they usually stay. Just be careful not to spray them on your plants to prevent drying directly.
- 1.3 lbs of dry citric acid dissolved in 1 gallon of water is also another good homemade frog repellent.
- Orajel. This contains a sedation-causing chemical called Benzocaine. A small amount of this substance can sedate the frog and stop its heart. Once you have caught one, you can apply a small amount of this on their head.
- Shooting with a pellet rifle or BB gun. Make sure you have a license to handle a weapon and that it is legal in your area.
Preventing reproduction
After getting rid of the frogs in your area, you will want to ensure that you will no longer have to worry about new young frogs appearing.
- Take the tadpoles out of the water and put them on dry ground to deprive them of water which is their main source of nutrition.
- Get rid of the eggs or egg masses. You can easily spot the eggs because they appear like jelly blobs that are clumped together. If the blobs are attached in a string-like manner, these are toad eggs. You can also leave them on dry land to dehydrate them.
Conclusion
If you live in an area with an annoyingly large population of frogs and you find a few of them ending up in your backyard, you may be looking for ways to get rid of them. We have provided home remedies, humane, and last resort that you can try out to eliminate them from your yard.
Before applying these methods, especially the less humane ones, always double-check the laws that govern animal welfare in your area, so you don’t get in trouble. There are existing laws that prohibit the moving or killing of certain frog species.
You can always use home remedies and humane methods to minimize their presence and prevent them from returning to your property. Try them out first.
