Summary:
Frogs are great insect eaters and are usually welcomed guests around ponds. But, sometimes too many frogs is too much of a good thing.
Gus; Yucaipa, CA asks:
We have frogs near a Koi pond that are making a racket. What can we do to get rid of them?
Dear Gus;
Frogs for the most part are beneficial animals eating lots of insects that might otherwise damage plants and vegetables. Unfortunately, frogs come with voices and they love to speak out during all hours of the night, crooning their frog-love-songs. Music to another frog. Unending noise to our ears.
There are lots of reasons the frogs are coming to the pond. The many varieties of insects hatching along the edges of the water make the pond a drive-up smorgasbord for any hungry frog. Of course, the water is a relaxing spa for many types of frogs. So, the decision is how to discourage the frogs from the water attraction. There are many avenues to explore.
Errecting a net screen to ward off bull frogs seems to be a popular idea. The net fence will have to be about two feet high and it will have to be buried into the ground about six inches to keep the frogs from going under. You can also install netting across the top of the pond, securing it around the edges. You can purchase UV resistant three-quarter inch netting from various bird netting suppliers such as Bird-B-Gone or Bird Barrier for about forty cents a square foot. The net allows plenty of air and sunlight through, but keeps out small animals, including frogs.
There are no pesticides labeled for frog control, but there are pesticides that can be applied to reduce the insect populations that the frogs are feeding on. Cypermethrin is a synthethic pyrethroid that can be applied with a hand sprayer. You should treat areas around lights, gutters, leaf litter and other areas likely to attract insects. Knock off the frog's food source and the frogs will have to go elsewhere for their meals.
Some people like to use snake repellents to discourage frogs. Most snake repellents contain some form of naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both used in moth balls. The odor is supposed to repel the target pest. Apply it in a band around the area to be protected, but keep it out of gardens and away from areas where it might leach into nearby water. Rain will melt the moth balls and if the melted chemical it makes it into the pond you will have dead fish the next morning, for sure.

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Hawaii is fighting an epidemic of a fast-reproducing little frog that was inadvertently brought onto the island. The frog is threatening to endanger the fragile Hawaiian eco-system balance, so authorities have been searching for ways to stop its spread. Two methods that have shown some success and which are being tried under special experimental use permits are a 2-percent-caffeine solution, containing a far higher concentration of caffeine than that of regular coffee. The solution kills the frogs, but does little to surrounding insect populations. In addition to controlling frogs, the solution also does a nice job on garden slugs, the bane of the Hawaiian orchid industry.
Still another potential aid in the frog battle is citric acid, the primary constituent of lemon juice. Preliminary tests used a citric-acid formulation roughly comparable to double-strength lemon juice. The spray isn't quite as potent as caffeine for killing frogs. Hydrated lime, the powder used to reduce the acidity of soil, also kills frogs but cannot legally be used against frogs unless it were to receive federal approval as a pesticide.
A 3-minute spray of hot water (116°F) kills any coquies and greenhouse frogs present. As a bonus the treatment kills geckos, centipedes, and about everything else in the soil except ants. You would have to rent some type of hot water generator to get a consistent spray of that temperature.
Comments
Launa Sholar
28 Jun 2009, 12:43
I keep getting these big frogs in my pond, don't know if they are water
frogs or bullfrogs.Anyways, I am missing fish and want to get rid of these
frogs!!I have tried to catch him like I did the last one but can not!I
don't mind the little frogs but not the big ones.He hides from me at night
and during the day he is in my Hostas so I can not get him out!I spent to
much money on my fish.I do not want a net over the pond , and do not have
lights around the pond for bugs, so why are they coming?If I could I would
chop them up in pieces to keep my fish!I finally got them out of my pool by
adding alot of chlorine to it.Anyone with any suggestions , please help!!!!
Frog Killer
28 Jul 2009, 15:24
I have found a way to kill and repel frogs. Spray them with Off Backwoods
(tall green can). After a good spraying, they will die within 30 seconds,
no matter how large. I have a large inground pool and I use a chemical
called Super Shock. Put one small package of this mixed with about 2
gallons of water and placed into a pressurized sprayer (like for Ortho).
Now spray the areas that the frogs seem to sleep (up off the ground but
usually a shaded place like under a deck). They will not go back to a
place that has been sprayed down. The rain will eventually wash it away
but simply re-apply.
Mary
03 Aug 2009, 17:02
This Has been the worst year ever in 5 yrs for my pond with theses
frogs.can any one help me please??? i have a 80,000 gall.pond and lots of
fish .but 1,000"s of frogs this yr .when i go fly fishing them frogs think
my fly is a bug.lolo and the bass wont bight .cuz they have plenty of food
from the frogs.all i see any more are frogs,frogs and more frogs popping up
out of the water for air .lots of little ones as well .how can i get rid
of theses critters with out harming my fish?? thanks for any help ..Mary
Charlotte
03 Aug 2009, 19:37
I have frogs tunneling around my home and under the concrete slab. How can
I stop this.
Mary
10 Aug 2009, 10:28
I have a 8ft by 11ft pond. I have a lot of problems with frogs. They hatch
eggs (long strings and mass) and I immediately take them out with the net.
They were keeping me from sleeping at night with all the chirping. I
finally decided to go out there and get rid of them. I sprayed the babies
(tiny black) with repellent. The larger frogs I am trapping and putting
them in a bag. I can now sleep at night. I continually check and there are
no more frogs.
Ana
10 Aug 2009, 12:06
We have tons of ugly green frogs right at the entrance of our town house
and in the patio. When getting home at night, it;s a pain just to get
inside the house because of the frogs, and to let the dog out side the
patio at night is another night mare!!!
How can we get rid of them???
-Ana
Sandra
11 Aug 2009, 01:43
My neighbor was going to extend his driveway but did not and the water from
the rain has made the grass grow longer in that area and brought frogs in
our area. You could hear them all night making all kinds of noise and
today it rained and my shephard dugged some of my grass with the dirt
attached and the hole filled up with water. Now I think the frogs has come
over on my side. Now I hear noise from both sides of my house and saw a
small on my door when I was about to open it. HELP, I NEED AN EXTERMINATOR
AND HOW CAN I GET RID OF THESE LOUD FROGS. SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
Janet Rapel-Palumbo
19 Aug 2009, 00:43
I just moved from New York to Houston and I am blessed with a huge back
yard and front lawn, but along with those are amenities frogs. I don't
mean to kill them but I am freaked out everytime I come across one of those
uninvited critters. I just want to keep them away. HELP!!!!!
Missy Yavasile
04 Sep 2009, 18:52
(sorry there is no ask the exterminator button at the bottom of this page)
We have a very large pond with lots of fish...mostly large goldfish, but
some koi. I love the loud tree frogs, but the big bullfrogs are eating my
fish. There are hundreds of 4" tadpoles in the pond. If they all become
frogs I won't have any fish left.m HELP! The pond is too large to drain!
Ask the Exterminator
04 Sep 2009, 22:14
The button is at the top of the page.
Kasey
12 Sep 2009, 23:08
I live in the country, so controlling insects has proven to be harder than
I thought. I don't have a pond or creek, but I have a porch that big ugly
bullfrogs love to hang out on. There could be 5 or 6 camping out in front
of my door at any given time, day or night. I am terrified of those things
and at my wit's end with it. NOTHING WORK!! They are like the strange and
annoying uncle that comes for dinner just won't leave!!!
deborah
23 Sep 2009, 22:39
I am having so much problems with frogs on my patio and door, so many of
them how can I get rid of them I've tried mothballs, salt water and bleach
and nothing seems to work please help me.
Ron
23 Sep 2009, 23:16
Hi, I live in Mississippi and every time I go to my car, open my front door
their are these ugly things all over my house,and in side of my car door.
They are driving me crazy, please help.
Zeddie
06 Oct 2009, 04:34
Ammonia!!!! Gets em running and dying! When its dry out I throw ammonia
around the area and after it rains I do it again. Ammonia works for me.
Kari
04 Nov 2009, 08:23
Hello,
Im having a lot of issues with frogs in my townhome, I dont have a pond or
anything but those little frogs seems to just stick to my door and come in
all the time.. they are driving me crazy :( After reading some suggestions
I saw that Off backwoods was good to repell them but what I found was a
green can but its called Off Deepwoods instead.
Are they the same thing? If so how often should I apply it to the area?
Juan
04 Jan 2010, 14:04
I had some that were like torture and a night mere to me. I used to shut
myself in as soon as dark started because these frogs owned my patio. (I
am afraid of them). They lived in the little tunnel that runs under my
driveway. A friend told me to block the tunnel with net wire that only
water could run through and to sprinkle salt wherever they come through to
the patio. I am happy because it was excellent...it worked!
Amoah Boateng
26 Feb 2010, 05:16
Hello Sir, Hope all is well with you and please I have some questions for
you. I have a pest control company and I have been to this site and please
how can I get some of your chemicals to control frogs. Please let me know
Billy
28 Feb 2010, 23:03
I have some crazy frogs out in my backyard. I'm thinking about putting
vinegar around the areas where I here croaking. But I'm afraid I'll kill
them. I love wildlife so I don't like killing creatures. How do I get frogs
away from my home without killing them?