Frogs are relatively harmless and can be beneficial if managed properly. Nonetheless, there are instances where having frogs in your yard is dangerous.
Getting rid of frogs is not as easy as it sounds, especially humanely. Don’t worry; you don’t need to have frogs jumping all over your yard.
In this post, I will go over how you can get rid of frogs in your yard.
Let’s dive in.
Why Are There Frogs in My Yard?
If there are frogs in your yard, there is likely something in your yard attracting them. Like most pests, the main reasons they are attracted to your home is because there is:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
If there are frogs in your yard, there is likely a source of water in your yard or near your yard. Water is crucial to a frog’s survival. Frogs consume water and oxygen through their skin. Without water, frogs will suffocate and dry up.
Another reason that there are frogs inside your yard is that there is an abundance of food to survive on. You must manage any other pest issues around your home to avoid attracting frogs.
Frog eat insects, worms, and slugs to survive. If your home has an abundance of any of these insects, then frogs will seek your home for food.
Frogs vs. Toads
It’s quite easy to identify frogs and toads.
Frogs have smooth and slimy skin, and their skin color can take on a variety of colors. Most commonly, they are green, grey, yellow, or brown.
Frogs also have spots or blotches on their back. These patterns are typically used to identify different species of frogs.
Toads, on the other hand, have dry skin with bumps and lumps on their back. Just like frogs, toads can vary in color from green, grey, yellow, and orange.
Toads and frogs live near water sources. They need these sources of water to survive.
Are some Frogs Poisonous?
Most frogs in the United States are harmless and not poisonous. There is only one species of frog in the U.S that is poisonous.
Pickerel Frogs
Although they don’t commonly invade yards, you should know if you encounter one of these frogs in your yard.
There is one native species of poisonous frog in the United States, the pickerel frog.
The pickerel frog is mostly found in the eastern U.S., Ranging from Main and extending to Western Virginia and with some reported cases in the as far west as Arkansas.
The Pickerel frog is a larger frog. It can range from 1 ¾ to 4 inches long. It tends to be a lighter frog with tan or brown skin. It can change its skin color either lighter or darker to match its surroundings.
It’s easy to identify the pickerel frog by its rows of square patterns on its back. They also have signature yellow or orange skin on the inside of their thighs.
How To Get Rid of Frogs?
1. Eliminate Other Pest Issues
To get rid of frogs from your home, you want to eliminate any other pest issues you have around your home.
If you have large insect infestations such as cockroaches or spiders, this can attract frogs to your home.
First, you want to address the other insects around your home to help eliminate the frogs in your yard.
The best way to eliminate other pests around your home is to first identify the type of pests you have around your home.
Then determine the most effective ways to eliminate them.
By eliminating the pests around your home, you will eliminate the frog’s food source. This will drive the frogs to other areas in search of food.
2. Eliminate or Cover Sources of Water
If you have bodies of water around your home, you will want to cover these or take steps to prevent frogs from getting access to them.
Frogs and toads are not agile creates. While they can jump, they can not crawl over fences or other barriers.
Ponds, streams, pools, or birdbaths are common water sources that can attract frogs to your home.
If you have any of these water sources around your home, you want to create a barrier or cover them to prevent frogs from using them as a source of water.
Other sources can also attract frogs. For example, leaking pipes, broken sprinklers, or flooded patches of grass can create a constant source of water for frogs to survive on.
Inspect your home for any unwanted area of moisture or flooding.
To eliminate flooding or unwanted moisture, you may need to consider leveling your yard, adding a french drain, or installing a more intricate drainage system.
3. Build Fences around Your Home
One of the best ways to get rid of frogs is by exclusion. Frogs can climb, but having a fence will make it much less likely that they will enter your yard.
Even if they do make it over our fence, it’s unlikely that many frogs will enter your yard.
If you do plan to build a fence, fences that don’t have flat surfaces are the best option. I recommend a chain-link fence.
These are inexpensive and have been proven effective against frogs since there are no surfaces for frogs to use their suction cups to climb.
If you already have a fence, such as a picket fence or wood fence, you can use wire mesh at the bottom to keep frogs out and make it difficult for them to climb.
4. Create a Frog Sanctuary
One way you can get rid of the frogs around your home is to create a frog sanctuary in the corner of your yard or just outside your yard.
You can create a body of water of mud, grass, and plenty of planted insects such as worms that are easy to manage.
By creating a frog sanctuary, the frogs will be attracted to this area but will stay away from the other areas around your home.
This is a humane way of keeping frogs away from your home while reaping the benefits of having them in your neighborhood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc98gSAaM6A
5. Use Frog Repellents
There are many natural options that you can use to repel frogs from your property. In my experience, while these can work, they are not always effective.
For example, you might have read on other websites that salt, coffee grounds, or even cayenne pepper can repel frogs from your home.
Here are some of the best natural frog repellents you can use to keep frogs away:
- Citric Acid
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Saltwater
While salt is an effective method of repelling frogs, it can also be deadly. Salt can burn the feet of a frog when they walk over it. But if the frog can’t leave the area where the salt is present, they will eventually dehydrate and die.
Other options you can consider to repel frogs are mothballs or snake repellents. The chemicals in snake repellent have been showing to be effective against frogs as well.
6. Use Insecticides
You can also get rid of frogs using chemical insecticides to kill any frogs that enter your yard.
I advise against this method. Frogs are relatively harmless animals that are very beneficial to gardens and other areas around your home.
There are more effective and humane ways you can get rid of frogs from your yard without eliminating them from the local area.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Frogs Harmful To Humans?
Frogs are typically harmless to humans. They don’t attack humans and most frogs in the U.S don’t secret harmful toxins.
The main concern with frogs is that they do carry bacteria that can cause salmonella. They are not known to carry any diseases that can be transmitted to humans.
Are Frogs harmful To Pets?
Generally frogs are not harmful to pets. But, there are certain species of frogs and toads that can be toxic to pets. If dogs or cats touch, eat, or lick a toxic frog or toads it can have serious health effect on your pet.
As a precaution its best to prevent your dog or cat from coming into contact with frogs or toads unless you are certain they are safe.
how do i stop my frogs from making noise at night?
Unfortunately, you can’t stop frogs from making noises at night.
The best way to stop frogs from making noise at night is to make sure they can’t get too close to your home.
You can use barriers or repellents to keep frogs away from your home. This will ensure that you can’t hear them at night.
Does Baking Soda Kill Frogs?
Yes, baking soda can kill frogs. Baking soda has been approved by state such as Hawaii as a natural option to help control frog populations.
Baking soda is a preferred option because it leaves other animals unharmed but effectively gets rid of frogs.
An alternative to using baking soda is citric acid. Citric acid is a found in acidic fruits such as lemon.
Spraying citric acid directly on frogs or on the surfaces can kill frogs relatively effectively.
What Does Salt Do To Frogs?
Salt can kill and repel frogs. When frogs come in contact with salt two things happens.
First, the sensation will burn their skin and they will begin to avoid areas with salt.
Second, the salt with cause the frogs to dehydrate. Without a water source the frogs will die of dehydration.