Are there Frogs in Colorado?
YES! Did you know that frogs can be found at altitudes between 3,000 and 11,000 feet in elevation? Yes! Here on the Front Range in Colorado we are about a Mile high (5280 feet in elevation) give or take depending on where you are. While they are often not a problem, sometimes you may want to get rid of the frogs!
Loud Frogs at the Pond?
Some people love the frogs. They may be tiny and adorable. However, if you have ever had the frogs that start to croak when it gets dark, then you know the frogs can be incredibly LOUD. So loud that their cuteness totally wears off and you may want to get rid of the frogs!
Is a frog or a toad ? Frog have more moist and smooth skin. They jump, good size jumps. Toads look more dry, warty looking skin and crawl or make short hops when moving. Frogs have longer legs and toads have shorter legs. So if you’re trying to tell the difference, ask them kindly to stretch their legs out straight so you can compare.
Will Frogs or Toads eat my Fish?
Toads and frogs primarily eat insects, but have been know to eat very small fry and even fish eggs! Basically, if it can fit into their mouth, they will eat it. So that means a large bullfrog could eat a 4 inch koi!
Turning the tables, koi will also eat small frogs and tadpoles. (Circle of life!)
Get Rid of Pond Frogs
Some advice out there suggests changing your pond environment to make it less appealing to frogs. The problem with that that we – people who have ponds- enjoy the same things that frogs enjoy! We love clear, clean water, we love lots of plants and greenery around the pond! So, I reject the thought of making the environment less inviting.
But there are other ways!
We can deter frogs without hurting them. Frogs have very sensitive skin and eyes. There are certain things they really want to stay away from!
This fine fellow is a toad.
The Peanut Shell Solution
You’ll need:
- A bag of salted peanuts
- 100% pure peppermint oil (small bottle)
- Blue nitrile gloves
Step 1 Eat the peanuts. Only if you like peanuts, of course!
Step 2 Save all the peanut hulls. Put them in a small plastic grocery bag
Step 3 Put on blue gloves
Step 4 Put in pure peppermint oil, into small plastic bags (wearing gloves) and put some in – roughly a tablespoon or a little more (this is not a scientific endeavor) but you don’t need a huge amount.
Step 5 Shake up bag really well
Step 6 Spread peanut hulls around area around pond in the areas that frog come in, and near grasses or (but not in pond). You can put it all the way around the pond, it will just take more shells. Leave it for 45 a month and a 1/2. The peanut shells may just go into the ground, but you could pick them up if they are an eyesore.
This will not only get rid of frogs but it will keep them out int he first place!
If there are frogs in the pond already, it is nice to try to catch them if you can and remove them before the peanut shell solution. This will work around the house or garden too.
This is an American Bullfrog. the way you can tell it is a Bullfrog is that the fold of skin it has in the ear area that makes a sort of circle on the side of the face.
* Please note, I’m not a frog or toad expert. If you’re looking for amphibian wisdom, you’ll need to hop on over to someone who actually speaks fluent frog – or find a herpetologist.
Should I worry about my dogs if there are frogs?
Most frogs and toads have skin oils that dogs will stay away from. If they get a frog in their mouth, generally they spit them back out. There skin may have toxins which can be irritating or even poisonous to dogs. So if your dog gets a hold of a frog, just keep an eye on them. If they show any signs of distress like, vomiting, really bad drooling (more than normal) or foaming at the mouth, take them to a vet right away.
If you have a pond and dogs read about the vaccine your dog needs.
Declining frog population.
Because of habitat loss, scientists are seeing a decline in the frog populations. Backyard (or front yard) ponds lend a hand by offering more habitat. So if you have a pond further from your house, help a frog out and let them live in your pond habitat.
If your frogs are loud and you want to support them, make sure there are dead leaves bunched up here and there are the pond and soft garden dirt for them to burrow in. Sometimes a nice overturned pot with dirt and leaves creates a little shelter for them.
Kristi's Tips
If your pond has frogs, it is actually a sign of a very healthy ecosystem!
The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in North America and is considered to be invasive. Probably because it is so LOUD!
The peanut shell solution to get rid of frogs can help with racoons and mice too!
Most snakes are not deterred by by peppermint oil!
* This blog was NOT written by AI. This was written by me. I am not a professional writer, I am a pond person. So please forgive me if you see a typo!