Toad Attack!

[Catfishnut]

No problem, I thought it was an American Bullfrogs that we have here, and called it a toad ... I understand they are different species, but I interchange these two words horribly.

I understand what you mean. I am a bit of an amateur herpatologist / biologist and I still get hung up on some of the classifications and common names. I like to think that I am pretty clear on most species, though. Like cicadas vs locusts and poison ivy vs poison oak vs poison sumac - just for examples. Many people confuse these and do so very often. I know these very well. Especially poison ivy because I cultivate it - garden it. Most people think it to be silly, but I purposely plant poison ivy around my house. If any burgler was to gain access to my home through a window, he's going to have an awful rash when he wakes up the next day!
Hee Hee! I am really mean! And I love it because I can get away with it. I have been exposed to poison ivy all my life and have a sort of tolerance to it. Unless I purposely and aggressively rub the leaves on my skin, I don't get the itch and blisters like other people do. I can otherwise handle the ivy plants just like any other plant and have no ill effects. Neighboors think I am nuts... Oh, that's right, I am... CatfishNUT!

Catfishnut

 

[capewind]

My problem is I want to keep some of my baby fish, and the bullfrogs want to eat them LOL ... Soooo as long as I have small babies in the pond, the daily evictions will continue. This will sound mean, but when the frog above was evicted, it spent the night in a tote. We gave it a couple of small comet babies (2-3") and it DID eat them ... in between making this ungodly nose too I might add ... sounded like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs ...

 

[Catfishnut]

Ah ha. I understand that now. I was thinking more about the fish eating the tads, not the frogs eating the fry. That would not be good if your'e trying to rear fish.


Catfishnut

 

[capewind]

The pond we have now was new last year. In the past, our pond was too small/over populated to ever watch any of the fry grow up. They became fish food before any frog could think about eating them. I've been having a blast watching those that were pond spawned develop. We have a few that are known colors, but think some of the mutts we got are pretty cute too... Once we get the next pond in, we have about 100 babies under 6" that I got the first week of December via Ebay as 1-4" babies that will slowly start getting moved outside... need to find a good way to secure a frog proof net ...

 

[Catfishnut]

Nope, they are American Toads. This afternoon we counted over 30 of them. They will be there for about a week, and then they'll leave and I'll be digging strings of eggs out of the pond. UGH.

At approx 1:25 into your video I caught a good look at one out of the water. Definitely a toad. You may not like them, but I think it is really neat!

Catfishnut

 

[fishin4cars]

Something a friend of mine showed me last year that worked fairly good to keep toads away was moth balls or Snake away around the pond but at least 10-20 feet away from the edge of the pond and further if there is any chance of ground water getting in your pond. The frogs tend to not be bothered by it yet the toads didn't come in as bad after applying, and it did keep the snakes to a minimum considering how many we saw around the woods and larger pond. All without actually injuring any of them. I call frogs natures orchestra, but toads can get obnoxious. To close to the house and more than one or two in the area and they will drive you nuts! BTW, there needs to be a balance if you do allow tadpoles to grow in your pond, remember they produce waste as well as your fish, so they do add extra load. I've also heard the toad tadpoles can be dangerous to some fish if eaten. personally I've never seen a koi or goldfish killed or harmed from eating them but I have seen some catfish die from something after eating tadpoles so it may hold some truth. Take it for what it's worth. Catfish also makes a good point, if you are experiencing lots of toads or frogs in your area that's a good sign of a healthy environment.

 

[JoaniePA]

Well, moth balls are very toxic to almost all wildlife including people. I would not want to introduce them to my yard.

The toads are gone - not a trill to be heard, but then it got down into the mid 40s last night. I hope they've all hopped back into the woods. I understand that toads and frogs are beneficial. We have been converting the "lawn and gardens" in our small half acre suburban property to native shrubs and plants, we have a bat house up which last I looked three days ago had a few little browns in it (no nose fungus!!), we have a mason bee house. The one thing in our yard which will never be environmentally balanced is the pond. It's an 1100 gallon artificial watering hole for all kinds of wildlife, and home to a dozen or so fancy fish, two or so frogs, snails, dragon flies, and who knows what other little living things. Since it is artificially created and the fish have no choice to stay or leave, I feel I have a responsibility to at least try to keep the carrying load of the creatures who use it somewhat balanced. 30,000 tadpoles in an 1100 gallon recirculating pond, with no fresh in or outflow, does not sound like a balanced environment for the critters who live there and have no options to leave (snails, fish, beneficial insect larvae etc.) If it was two or four toads, no problem. But as many 3 dozen.. no thanks. I'm sure I will not be able to scoop all the eggs, and expect to see tads in a few weeks.

I'd like to put something over the skimmer, but am not sure what that would be - have to think about it. Not sure I have anything small enough to keep tads out.

 

[sissy]

The frogs here have so many tads if with me removing the eggs they still are lots of them each spring and the clog up the filters and even clogged a pump on me several times .We have lots of those lizards here every color too from red ,green orange ,blue ,yellow and even pink .I am lucky in a way I take buckets of eggs down to the creek across the road from my house and dump them there so I guess they can come back next year . :banghead3: It's like hitting your head on a brick wall .The creek is flooded again after last nights storm .

 

[Tradewinds]

Before installing my pond, I never saw a frog/toad in the yard. Now each spring we have a number of them. I've always wondered how far these creatures could travel to find water. How do they migrate from spot to spot as I never see them hopping down the road.

Maybe the stork brings them?

 

[HARO]

No, the stork EATS them! :cheerful:
John

 

[brandonsdad02]

I've heard that toads go back to where they were born to mate. The first year we had our pond, we had several toads have babies in our pond. Last year we had 6 pairs have babies, so lord knows what will happen this year. Last monday, I counted 6 toads at the pond. No signs of eggs yet, still been a bit too cool, but its going to warm up in a few days.

 

[addy1]

I have toad tads, frog tads already swimming around, and bunches of eggs, I let nature do its natural deletion. It never seems I get too many, frogs - toads at any one time.

 

[mtpond]

Last summer my grandchildren and I were walking around our property, we have four springs that run year around. Anyway on our walk they found a couple of toads in the springs so their thought was to put them in grandmas pond. So last summer I had two toads in my pond which wasn't a problem cause they never layed any eggs. :razz: My friend had a couple of garter snakes around her pond and she started missing fish. Toads any day for me.

 

[Dave 54]

Did you know that for female toads mating can sometimes be fatal.
The male toads all know they have only a short time to breed and have sometimes been seen to be a ball of toads all wanting to mate with the poor female who is in the middle of this scrum, (which in Rugby the game is where everyone hunkers down , the ball is passed in then the opposing teams push towards the ball until one side sees it between the legs of their team and it is passed out and backwards towards the chap outside the scrum trying to get it.)..........
Well as I said its a little like this for the poor female who in this sort of situation will drown sadly because of the sheer number of males in the ball .
So as you can see its a dangerous affair for the female toads

rgrds

Dave

 

[JoaniePA]

Dave - I can attest to this being true. I scooped out -- not exaggerating here -- close to four gallons of toad eggs yesterday morning, and in the skimmer were three toads. Two were dead, one solo and one female still attached to a live male.