5 Ways To Get Rid Of Cane Toads

Cane toads have been claiming Australia as their home for a long time now.

While most of us don’t like the idea of killing an animal, it can be different when it is a yucky cane toad. Cane toads are dangerous and can make our children and our pets very sick. They are considered a pest and there are plenty of organisations involved with humanely killing cane toads across the northern parts of Australia.

There are several different ways to kill cane toads, some of them a lot more humane than others. While it is advisable to kill these pests and prevent more from hatching, you want to do so in a way that is not painful to them. If you do live in the tropics and are faced with a cane toad craze in your backyard, then below are some ways to kill the cane toads as humanely as possible and prevent the spread.

1. Chemicals

There are plenty of chemicals on the market for killing cane toads. Some people swear that spraying bleach, hydrogen peroxide or Dettol on a cane toad will kill them instantly, but this is not the case. All of these chemicals will kill a cane toad but it will die a slow and painful death and there are better ways to go about this.

2. Clubbing

Another way to kill a cane toad is to bash them to death with a club or stick. Again, this is an awful way to go and not recommended. There is a chance that you will only seriously hurt the toad without killing it.

3. Freezing

You may think that this is another inhumane way to kill a toad but this is actually recommended by organisations such as Frog Safe Inc. Catch the toad and place it into the fridge in a plastic takeaway food container. Cut some air holes into the container and leave the toad in the fridge overnight. The toad will go into a comatose state. Move the toad to the freezer where he will freeze to death but will not feel any pain. Then place the frozen toad and the container in the bin or bury him in the compost.

4. Egg Disposal

The reason that cane toads are considered a pest is because they breed so often and so many tadpoles at once. Cane toads need water in order to breed and thus if you have a pond or other freshwater source in your backyard, then you could be offering the perfect breeding ground. If you do notice eggs in your pond, then you will need to get rid of them. The eggs will be on a long gooey string. Put on a pair of gloves and pull the long string out of the water. You can dispose of the eggs by burying them or by leaving them in the sun to dry up.

5. Eliminate water.

Cane toads need water to live which is why they seem to flourish during the wet season. While you cannot get rid of the rain, you can help to eliminate any breeding grounds by always dumping out pots and making sure there is no still water around the yard.

How do you get rid of cane toads?