Coqui frogs, also known as Eleutherodactylus coqui, are small night predators that feed on insects and invertebrates. These frogs originate from Florida via a potted plant shipment.
Coqui frogs are a nuisance since they make a distinct loud noise. The male frogs produce a “Ko-Kee” sound day and night to attract females for mating purposes and keep off the males to establish a territory.
These frogs have audibility of up to 90 decibels, which is relatively similar to a moving lawnmower. You can’t believe how irritating their loudness can be if they are in a large group.
This is the primary reason why you should remove these frogs from your backyard or garden. Here you will learn how to get rid of coqui frogs and why eliminating them from your compound is essential.
Why Eliminate Coqui Frogs
You should try as much as you can to get rid of coqui frogs since they are destructive in nature. Apart from their loud noise, there are other reasons why you need to eliminate these frogs in your home, as discussed below:
· Harm the Environment
Coqui frogs pose a significant risk to various spider breeds and native insects. When they are in large numbers, they can consume over 400000 insects in one night. This can adversely interfere with the ecosystem.
· Hurt the Economy
The loud mating calls lead to noise pollution, which can negatively affect your property value. The coqui frogs can have adverse impacts on tourism and a decrease in the sale of export plants.
· Severe Effect on Health and Living Standards
The loud noise during the day and night can interfere with your sleeping pattern ultimately. Besides, these frogs can influence the people’s will to live or continue living in the affected regions.
How to Get Rid of Coqui Frogs
Coqui frogs have an average lifespan of six years, but adults do not surpass one year in most cases. These creatures are annoying when they get into your yard, especially those who don’t like loud noise.
The following are some of the ways that you can use to get rid of coqui frogs from your pond, swimming pool, or backyard:
1. Hand Capture
This is the simplest way of how to get rid of coqui frogs. You can easily see these frogs at night on plants that are less than 10 feet from the ground.
What you need to do is to take a torch when the sun goes down and search these frogs between trees’ crotches, large dead leaves, and palm axils. You can also get some of the coqui frogs together with their eggs under dead leaves, bark, and moss.
If the frogs are not making noise, just play a recorded call to lure the female frogs and then capture them. There are higher chances of finding silent females close to the calling male.
If you cannot handle these frogs due to their large numbers, you can put them in the freezer for a while. They will automatically fall asleep, making it easier for you to transport them.
2. Lure Traps
Coqui frogs usually hide in dark and moist areas. Thus, you can place lure traps in these areas to catch them. These traps make use of the frogs’ nesting behavior.
The lure traps are ideal for decreasing coqui frogs’ population by providing them with a nesting place. This allows you to capture all adults together with their eggs in one location.
You can use numerous lure traps if your compound has massive frog infestation. The traps come in various sizes, and you need to check the traps during the day for two weeks.
Place the adults and their eggs in a Ziploc bag. Then you can release them far from peoples’ homes or freeze them to die.
3. Spray with Citric Acid
Citric acid can help you eliminate coqui frogs in your home. Frogs breathe using their skin; hence they cannot withstand any chemical contact with their skin.
You need to spray citric acid at night when the frogs are active, either foraging, calling, or mating. First, spray on the ground and move up the canopy. Ensure you thoroughly sprinkle all over the vegetation where the frogs live or perch.
It is good to note that citric acid can harm some plants in your backyard, like orchids and ferns. Therefore, make sure you cleanse all sprayed plants with clean water to prevent any damage. You should do this one hour after spraying.
4. Eliminate the Attractions
As mentioned above, frogs feed on insects, and they will be attracted to your home if they find something to eat. If you get rid of these insects, they will lack food; hence they won’t stay there anymore.
Ensure you eliminate the mosquitos, flies, and bugs in your yard or garden. Keep your compound clean by removing fallen leaves and cutting tall grass or excess weeds.
Besides, clean all your gutters and make sure there is no stagnant water in your home. Night lights attract insects, and consequently, frogs; hence turn them off. If it’s a must you have outdoor lights, use insect repelling lights such as yellow lights, torches, and citronella.
5. Use Pesticides and Herbicides
This is the most effective technique of eliminating coqui frogs from your home. You only spray chemicals such as weed killers.
This method helps to terminate the frogs’ food source. As a result, the environment will not attract these frogs, and they will have no option other than to leave.
Besides, these herbicides and pesticides act as frogs’ deterrents. Remember not to spray these chemicals directly on frogs since this is against the law.
6. Use Home Remedies
You can use different home remedies to get rid of coqui frogs. Some of these remedies include:
- Sprinkle salt water throughout your yard. This will cause discomfort on the frogs’ feet as it will sting them.
- Mix vinegar and water in equal amounts. Spray this solution on the ground, driveways, walkways, and other surfaces. The effect is the same as that of saltwater.
- Scatter coffee grounds in your backyard or garden. The coqui frog will feel discomfort after stepping on them.
Conclusion
Coqui frogs are a nuisance since they make a loud noise, especially when they are mating. Their noise can disrupt your sleeping pattern.
Besides making loud noises, these frogs are also harmful to the environment and cause severe health issues. Also, they harm the economy and way of life.
There are various ways of how to get rid of coqui frogs from your home. You can use traps, hand capture, spray citric acid, and eliminate their attractions. In addition, you can use pesticides and herbicides though these chemicals can harm certain plants.
