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Toad & Frog Damage

16 years ago

Searching the archives for help with the above topic, I noted 400+ entries, and after plowing through about 100 and reading talk about how cute and wonderful they were, I decided to see if anyone else has had damage from these critters. I have winter-sowed for three seasons and did not have a frog/toad problem until this year. Now, there are two variables for this season: better (at least more expensive) potting soil, and more hand watering due to our summer drought. The critters are jumping up almost a foot to get in the pots and burrow, thus ruining plants. I know they are seeking moisture, but much of what I grow takes two seasons to germinate, and some come up the first season so small that I put them in individual small pots to winter over before planting in the yard. Anyway, why have I had such a problem this season when I did not have this problem before? All suggestions will be appreciated and carefully evaluated. Thanks.

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Comments (5)

kqcrna
16 years ago
I've never had a problem with them and never realized they could be so destructive. I don't find many and am always happy to find one, assuming that they'll eat the bugs which eat my plants.

Could you elevate the pots more, like onto a table? Are they sitting on the ground now?

Karen
fishymamas
16 years ago
Could you put out a plastic "litter box" of cool dirt for them to burrow in, without seeding it? since it would only be a few inches tall they may perfer that. If you can get, say an old picnic table to elevate the rest, it could help too.
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lblack61
16 years ago
I haven't noticed a problem like that as yet, but I HAVE noticed the toad and frog population is rather high in my yard this year. We even had a tree frog nestled in between the door frame this morning. And everywhere I walk, frogs are jumping everywhere. I think the amount of weeds in my yard are giving them a protected, moist place to hang out so they aren't bothering any plants in the ground or in pots.

Linda
shimla
16 years ago
I love my toads! I have a really bad ant problem (sandy soil) so much that I scrapped my winter sowing about 10 years ago due to the ants and never tried it again. I had all my cups outside and the ants used them as big ant houses! Yuk - I had to dump everything! Needless to say, my toads hang around my pot area because the eating is good so I know what you're talking about! It's more of a shock factor when the soil starts to move on you haha. They really haven't done too much damage on me so I haven't tried to deter them. Usually, they just get one side of the pot. I've even found them from time to time up on my deck planters trying to keep cool.
If they are becoming problematic, I'll make a suggestion for you to try some tight knit chicken wire/mess over the tops of your pots. You could make a tent over the pots you need to protect with a strip of the mesh.
I've noticed over the years that their population fluctuates considerably. One year when the population was low, my entire front lawn was little ant mounds when Spring hit :(
Good luck!
shimla
Lynda Waldrep
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the ideas. The plants are only elevated about a foot, so I guess I need to find an outdoor table (don't own a picnic table) for future years. Also, the screening will work over the four-in. pots, but not over the things still in milk jugs (opened) that take two years. I never had this problem before and don't want to get rid of the frogs, so maybe the "froggie playpen" idea, i.e., their own little spot, will help. I'll file all these ideas away for 2008...too late for many of the plants this season.

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