Any suggestions on getting rid of toads, or at least encouraging them to
find other living arrangements? They are burrowing under my sidewalk and
porch, and I am tired of filling in their holes.
Joan Berry Morris
208 West Fourth
Fulton, MO 65251
573-642-1906
email: jmorri03@coin.org
1) Catch them and put them in a box with some damp
soil and a few bugs.
2) get in your car
3) drive eastwards until you get to I-55
4) drive southwards, through Arkansas, dogleg into
Tennessee, then south into Mississippi
5) Continue south for about 180 miles
6) When you get to the Gluckstadt exit, exit the
interstate, go to the Texaco/Krystal, order a few
Krystals and call me. I'll come get the toads, you can
have the Krystals.
Harry, who has a toad shortage
them to
> find other living arrangements? They are burrowing under my
sidewalk and
You mean toads actually burrow? I always thought they just took over =
abandoned snake, gopher or ground squirrel burrows. Every time I try to =
flush out a gopher with the hose, up pops a toad! And when I go out at =
night with a flashlight and shine it into the cistern, it is full of =
toads! I have heard that toads eat slugs, is that right?
Kim
From: jaime
Subject: Re: getting rid of toads
your
address and phone number out in public like this. You never know
who is lurking around.
Second, and I hope you don't take this badly (I keep working on
diplomatic phraseology but I fail), ... why in the world would you
want to get rid of toads??? Why do you feel it is necessary to fill
in their holes? I've never heard of a gardener who wants to get rid
of them ... most want to encourage more of them. There are a
number of toad houses on the market just for gardeners to
encourage toads to move in.
Aside from that, you can encourage them to shelter elsewhere by
giving them a better environment than they have under your
sidewalk and porch. That means an easy place to burrow into and
sufficient, readily available food and water. Obviously they like
your porch and sidewalk.
So you might try: as far from your porch and sidewalk as you can
get, give them easy-to-dig but easy to compact, soil. Break a
chunk from a terra cotta plant saucer, flip it upside down, push it
into the friable soil a bit. One might like that. You'll need to do
something like that for each at some distance. They may or may
not choose to use it. If you have any outdoor lighting, leaving a
light on for them at night is greatly appreciated and could easily be
why they like your porch.
OTOH, toads can be very territorial so relocation may not work at
all. Plus, unless food is very plentiful, they need to be pretty well
separated.
The only other thing I can think of is that you may be encountering
young'uns that will be dispersing shortly or in early spring. Or you
might contact the local garden club and see if anyone would like to
come and get them.
regards,
jaime, for whom a major entertainment is watching her toads eat
slugs and would run, not walk, to get your toads if you weren't so
far away. :-)<<
Go another couple of hundred miles into Louisiana and I'll take whatever Harry
doesn't want. You can never have enough toads.
George
Harry Boswell wrote:
To Harry & George:
Would you accept a UPS package?
I like them, too, but I don't want my sidewalk to collapse, which is where
we are heading.
Joan Berry Morris
208 West Fourth
Fulton, MO 65251
573-642-1906
email: jmorri03@coin.org
The name and phone number are business, not home. I guess I should
identify that. I hadn't thought of the porch light as attracting them,
I'll have to try to keep it off, see if that helps. I have several
perfectly lovely flower beds not 20 feet away that they would be very
welcome in. Maybe I'll try the saucer idea there. I don't want the holes
under the sidewalk, because it is on a slope, a small hole tends to attract
rainwater runoff and become an erosion.
Joan Berry Morris
Miller Realty
208 West Fourth
Fulton, MO 65251
573-642-1906
email: jmorri03@coin.org
Hi Joan. First, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from putting your
address and phone number out in public like this. You never know
who is lurking around.
Second, and I hope you don't take this badly (I keep working on
diplomatic phraseology but I fail), ... why in the world would you
want to get rid of toads??? Why do you feel it is necessary to fill
in their holes? I've never heard of a gardener who wants to get rid
of them ... most want to encourage more of them. There are a
number of toad houses on the market just for gardeners to
encourage toads to move in.
Aside from that, you can encourage them to shelter elsewhere by
giving them a better environment than they have under your
sidewalk and porch. That means an easy place to burrow into and
sufficient, readily available food and water. Obviously they like
your porch and sidewalk.
So you might try: as far from your porch and sidewalk as you can
get, give them easy-to-dig but easy to compact, soil. Break a
chunk from a terra cotta plant saucer, flip it upside down, push it
into the friable soil a bit. One might like that. You'll need to do
something like that for each at some distance. They may or may
not choose to use it. If you have any outdoor lighting, leaving a
light on for them at night is greatly appreciated and could easily be
why they like your porch.
OTOH, toads can be very territorial so relocation may not work at
all. Plus, unless food is very plentiful, they need to be pretty well
separated.
The only other thing I can think of is that you may be encountering
young'uns that will be dispersing shortly or in early spring. Or you
might contact the local garden club and see if anyone would like to
come and get them.
regards,
jaime, for whom a major entertainment is watching her toads eat
slugs and would run, not walk, to get your toads if you weren't so
far away. :-)
NW NJ,USDA zone 6/5
http://www.jaimek.com
<
1) Catch them and put them in a box with some damp
soil and a few bugs.
2) get in your car
3) drive eastwards until you get to I-55
4) drive southwards, through Arkansas, dogleg into
Tennessee, then south into Mississippi
5) Continue south for about 180 miles
6) When you get to the Gluckstadt exit, exit the
interstate, go to the Texaco/Krystal, order a few
Krystals and call me. I'll come get the toads, you can
have the Krystals.
Harry, who has a toad shortage>>
You go, Harry!!!
ROTFLMAO
seriously though, maybe avoid watering at night, reduce slug population and
turn off porch lights -- I have seen toads sit under a light at night and
scoop up the dead bugs under it. Also, add some snakes.
Barbara Martin
Now at The Cottage Garden "Fall Foliage: Eye Candy"
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/cottage_gardening
Active Co-Owner, Gardens List mailto:gardens-request@lsv.uky.edu
Regional Horticulturist, National Gardening Association
NEW! My Own Mid Atlantic Garden Reports!
http://www.garden.org/regionalreports/home.tml
I've put small clay flowerpots upside down, with a piece broken
out for a door, as toad houses in my beds. Sometimes works,
sometimes doesn't. Probably dependent on interest rates ;-)
them,
> I'll have to try to keep it off, see if that helps. I have several
> perfectly lovely flower beds not 20 feet away that they would be
very
> welcome in. Maybe I'll try the saucer idea there. I don't want the
holes
> under the sidewalk, because it is on a slope, a small hole tends to
attract
> rainwater runoff and become an erosion.
> At 03:07 PM 9/27/00 -0700, you wrote:
> Any suggestions on getting rid of toads, or at least encouraging
them
> to find other living arrangements? They are burrowing under my
> sidewalk and porch, and I am tired of filling in their holes.
Joan
> Berry Morris 208 West Fourth Fulton, MO 65251 573-642-1906
email:
> jmorri03@coin.org
> Hi Joan. First, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from putting
your
fill
> in their holes? I've never heard of a gardener who wants to get
rid
do
> something like that for each at some distance. They may or may
> not choose to use it. If you have any outdoor lighting, leaving a
> light on for them at night is greatly appreciated and could easily
be
> why they like your porch.
> OTOH, toads can be very territorial so relocation may not work at
> all. Plus, unless food is very plentiful, they need to be pretty
well
> separated.
> The only other thing I can think of is that you may be encountering
> young'uns that will be dispersing shortly or in early spring. Or
you
<we are heading.
Joan Berry Morris>>
I wonder if they would survive the trip.... But more to the point, are you
sure that is toads and not chipmunks or something else entirely??
Barbara Martin
Now at The Cottage Garden "Fall Foliage: Eye Candy"
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/cottage_gardening
Active Co-Owner, Gardens List mailto:gardens-request@lsv.uky.edu
Regional Horticulturist, National Gardening Association
NEW! My Own Mid Atlantic Garden Reports!
http://www.garden.org/regionalreports/home.tml
> <<
> I wonder if they would survive the trip.... But more to the point, are you
> sure that is toads and not chipmunks or something else entirely??
Almost entirely sure it's toads. I see them going into the holes.
Joan Berry Morris
Miller Realty
208 West Fourth
Fulton, MO 65251
573-642-1906
email: jmorri03@coin.org
I did not know that toads burrow. According to some quick research, they
burrow to hybernate. Only? Anyone know if this is true? It surprised me
that they could be any kind of a problem (except they do like to pop out
from under something at the last minute, the nonverbal equivalent of BOO!)
and I wonder if there might not be some other culprit at work. It would be
chipmunks in my yard.
Esther
Jaime, do you know of anything that eats snails? My old fat toads only eat slugs
and insects, can't even hand feed them snails.
George
jaime wrote:
Here I sometimes am privileged to come across an Eastern spadefoot toad,
usually under a mulchpile. I've watched them dig themselves back under
after being disturbed. A quick check of the Audubon field guide shows that
Western toads live in burrows they dig or adopt; the Great Plains toad
prefers loose soil to burrow in; the Canadian toad is an "adept burrower";
the Texas toad is an "effective burrower". So I guess it depends on the
species.
I am an avid toad admirer. I love their attitude.
Sue
ScarletSage@att.net
Zone 6, south-central PA
> I did not know that toads burrow. According to some quick research, they
> burrow to hybernate. Only? Anyone know if this is true? It surprised me
> that they could be any kind of a problem (except they do like to pop out
> from under something at the last minute, the nonverbal equivalent of BOO!)
> and I wonder if there might not be some other culprit at work. It would
be
I don't live in the Delta, we're about 10 feet higher in elevation than they
are. Also don't eat escargot. As for mudbugs, you suck the fat off the back of
the decapitated head and then toss the head, pinch the tail at the fan and suck
the tail meat out. I still have difficulty eating "bait" after twelve years here
in SW Louisiana. Rule of thumb is to cook 7 lbs of raw crawfish for every adult,
they only have to cook me about a lb and I'm done. And I'm glad I already had
supper. B-)
Gee, I was hoping there was a Greater Osmundian Snail Eating Toad I could get
for the garden. Guess I'll have to hire some varmints.
George
jaime wrote:
> Jaime, do you know of anything that eats snails? My old fat toads only
> eat slugs and insects, can't even hand feed them snails.
> George
Why George, darlin', you should know this down there in the Delta.
Call 'em escargot and have them for dinner. Y'all eat those
crawfish heads after all. What's a little escargot between friends?
A nice warm chipotle butter & you're set. ;-) And tape it so's we
can hear Miz Anne's reaction.
Actually, as far as I know, toads *will* eat them if the snails are
close to shedding their shell. If you've ever actually tried to
separate a snail from it's shell .... very difficult. OTW, all omnivores
will eat them (e.g., possums, skunks, racoons). Can't think of
anyone else.
jaime, who was about to eat something for dinner and is rapidly
reconsidering.
NW NJ,USDA zone 6/5
http://www.jaimek.com
> Almost entirely sure it's toads. I see them going into the holes.
> Joan Berry Morris
Yup, Joan. They certainly are. Toads going into the holes, I mean.
A few years ago I wrote a somewhat humorous, though 100% true,
post about the toad who lived in a hole in my sidewalk. That hole
happened to be directly under the back door light. He got so big
he couldn't get out of the holes. I had to dig him out one evening;
he was stuck half in and half out. I don't have the post any more
but I did bring that toad with me when I moved here.
But yeah, they love holes in concrete & concrete block, especially
near soil; they often will dig a bolt hole in the soil but use the hole
in the concrete (multiple entrances). It's cool, relatively dry and
pretty safe down there.
I'd try the little houses over some fluffy soil (they adore the piles of
municipal compost I have lying around the property). Easy to get
into. They will also move into a rock pile if you build it with a space
inside and 2 entrances. 'Course there are other critters that like
that too. Turning the outside light off will probably help but I'm not
sure it will be enough to drive them away once they are happily
ensconced. Picking them up and moving them away from the
house might be your best bet.
As a group, toads are good diggers though their abilities &
inclination vary by species as Sue noted. They will dig a burrow
below the frost line. Here, that = around 2'. Mine do tuck into a
little burrow to stay cool during the day if they can find loose soil.
OTW, they'll accept straw, deep grass or weeds and mulch as a
diurnal resting place. As someone (Barb?) said, they do love
compost piles for that reason.
Would you keep us posted? If some ideas don't work, maybe
others will. We're a pretty creative group. :-)
regards,
jaime
NW NJ,USDA zone 6/5
http://www.jaimek.com
Hey there, Esther! When I push a shovel into the organic material
piles, I almost always pull it out with a toad sitting on top.
try to be very careful. Mine also like to hide under large Heuchera
leaves and such locations. They just want to stay cool & in the
dark during daylight.
cheers!
jaime
NW NJ,USDA zone 6/5
http://www.jaimek.com
In a message dated 9/27/2000 5:05:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
gshirley@LIGHTWIRE.NET writes:
<< do you know of anything that eats snails? >>
Sure, George. Ducks love to eat snails. Don't you need a pet duck?
Flora in CA.
Penny, in 1879, a man named A. Delmas imported Helix aspersa (Mueller) to
California, and established colonies of them in five locations, including
the San Jose area, I think near his home. These snails are also called
brown snails, are about an inch in diameter (smaller than the Roman snails,
usually used for escargots). Delmas intended them to multiply and provide
food for people. That they multiplied is undeniable. The last I knew they
were becoming numerous in Arizona, too. I don't know whether they've made
it to other parts of the American South, but they're very destructive.
Fortunately they don't survive cold winters. That's all that has limited
their range. If you live within their range, it's very discouraging to read
that, when smashed with the back of a shovel, they may crawl into
sheltering foliage and repair their shell, and go on from there. Now you
know more than you wanted to know about snails. At least one kind. Margaret L
Hi Jaime,
My toads (am I their person?) are usually found under a plant in the
garden. They may use the chipmunk burrows or dig some of their own; how
would I know, but mostly they seem to like mulch and the shade of my garden
beds. The big ones are territorial so I usually know, in any given summer,
where to find at least one. I probably annoy them to no end by cleaning
and turning the beds, destroying all their hiding places. But there are
plenty more.
I suspect that the places between our rocks make nice winter homes. I have
a "toad abode" but it is more garden scupture than a living space. Or so
its contual emptiness would tell me. They mock my attempts to make them
happier like sinking small flat bowls to catch rainwater. Anything I do
like that seems to encourage them to move on. However, I have many and
still have to watch carefully when I mow for the little ones. Can't have
too many toads.
Esther
jaime
Please respond to Gardens & Gardening
Sent by: Gardens & Gardening
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
cc:
Subject: Re: getting rid of toads
Hey there, Esther! When I push a shovel into the organic material
piles, I almost always pull it out with a toad sitting on top.
try to be very careful. Mine also like to hide under large Heuchera
leaves and such locations. They just want to stay cool & in the
dark during daylight.
cheers!
jaime
NW NJ,USDA zone 6/5
http://www.jaimek.com
My FIL would go out each morning and pick huge snails (escargot) and put =
them in a tin can to deposit them in the woods nearby. This was a morning =
ritual. Don't know where they all came from. I don't care for them - =
just dipping bread in the garlic butter - yummy.
We've got lots of tiny ones - but I've never seen a large one here - must =
be a differrent type.
Penny
Why George, darlin', you should know this down there in the Delta.
Call 'em escargot and have them for dinner. Y'all eat those
crawfish heads after all. What's a little escargot between friends?
A nice warm chipotle butter & you're set. ;-) And tape it so's we
can hear Miz Anne's reaction.
Actually, as far as I know, toads *will* eat them if the snails are
close to shedding their shell. If you've ever actually tried to
separate a snail from it's shell .... very difficult. OTW, all omnivores
will eat them (e.g., possums, skunks, racoons). Can't think of
anyone else.
jaime, who was about to eat something for dinner and is rapidly
reconsidering.
NW NJ,USDA zone 6/5
http://www.jaimek.com
Our toad population improved when I took the timbers out at the raised gardens
and put in cinder blocks. Scares the heck out of you to be weeding along the
edge and old toad pops a head out to see who's knocking on his burrow. What's
the first thought? Sheesh, it's a big snake. After your heart slows down a bit
and your feet quit moving you can recognize your neighbor.
George, who do like them toad folk
jaime wrote:
Been there, done that. Miz Anne and I raised over 100 Muscovy ducks one year on
the farmette. Never again. Not only do they eat snails they also eat onion sets,
young lettuce, etc., etc. Not to mention the trails of semi-liquid duck poop
that were all over the place. People wouldn't even stop to talk to me on our
road, they were afraid I would leave a couple of ducks in their truck.
George
"J. Flora" wrote:
In a message dated 9/28/2000 7:32:58 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
mlaute@MICRON.NET writes:
<< If you live within their range, it's very discouraging to read
that, when smashed with the back of a shovel, they may crawl into
sheltering foliage and repair their shell, and go on from there. >>
I didn't want to know that, Margaret! I smash them pretty thoroughly and
from now on......WHAM.....WHAM....
My favorite way to kill slugs and snails is to spray them with an ammonia
plus water mix. Use about 1/5 ammonia to 4/5 water and spray them thoroughly
then watch them dissolve into a foamy yellow mess. And the plants seem to
appreciate the cleaning or take some nourishment from it or something.
Flora in CA
I should do further research on them. The ones my FIL (in France) =
collected were the escargot kind and they must survive their temps. They =
do get snow and freezing rain but it usually melts within a day or so.
I guess the local human population didn't take to them.
Penny
> mlaute@MICRON.NET 09/28/00 09:25AM >>>
Penny, in 1879, a man named A. Delmas imported Helix aspersa (Mueller) to
California, and established colonies of them in five locations, including
the San Jose area, I think near his home. These snails are also called
brown snails, are about an inch in diameter (smaller than the Roman =
snails,
usually used for escargots). Delmas intended them to multiply and provide
food for people. That they multiplied is undeniable. The last I knew =
they
were becoming numerous in Arizona, too. I don't know whether they've made
it to other parts of the American South, but they're very destructive.
Fortunately they don't survive cold winters. That's all that has limited
their range. If you live within their range, it's very discouraging to =
read
that, when smashed with the back of a shovel, they may crawl into
sheltering foliage and repair their shell, and go on from there. Now you
know more than you wanted to know about snails. At least one kind. =
Margaret L
I have a different switch on this question. Where can I get a toad that
will overwinter in Zone 3? I had so many disgusting slugs this fall,
that I would cheerfully pay postage to get a genuine certified
slug-eating toad that would survive our winters. - Jenny in Alaska
