Frogs in Your Hot Tub? Proven Ways to Rid Your Hot Tub of Frogs
Frogs in your hot tub? Not every one thinks a frog is a potential prince. If you’re bothered by frogs, who are only seeking water after all, you’ll have to out fox, err, out frog them. First latch the cover every night after you use the tub. If the cover does not have a tight fit, weigh it down around the edges. Then try some of the more popular methods for frog removal by mixing up a solution and spraying around the hot tub area:
1. Citric acid has been used in the battle against frogs and has proven effective. It is relatively easy to acquire at gardening shops and causes only mild phytotoxic damage to plants. Mix up a 16% solution, which is 1.3 pounds dry citric acid to one gallon of water. Put the solution in a sprayer and spray the frogs directly. Only direct exposure will kill frogs. If you worry about killing your plants, rinse them with water about an hour after spraying the frogs. This will help reduce any possible plant damage.
2. Saltwater seems to have some affect on frogs much like it does on slugs. The salt burns their moist skin and drives them away. Mix up a solution of saltwater and spray it around the areas where frogs congregate. It will burn their feet when they hop over the sprayed area. A little warning-all this salt will be hard on any plants in the area. They will brown around the edges and eventually flop over dead from dehydration. Consider this before you use salt!
3. Caffeine has been approved for experimental usage in Hawaii as a pesticide. It is still in the experimental phase as the affects on the ecosystem need to be observed. But early research showed a 2% solution of caffeine killed 100% of the frogs exposed to it. It causes irregularity in their heartbeats (heart attacks). It also killed a bunch of snails, slugs, and lizards in the testing area. A 2% solution is 125 times stronger than cola. You can use leftover coffee, which is about 0.1-0.05% concentration, to deter frogs. This solution will not kill them, but it may drive them off.
4. Bleach surprisingly has been used to ward of infestations of frogs, too. Use a weak solution to keep the frogs at bay. Mix 1/3 cup bleach to 3 gallons of water or just under 2 tablespoons per gallon. Spray the area around the tub. I would not recommending spraying this onto plants as bleach may damage them.
5. Controlling the variables of frog habitat is crucial in getting rid of frogs. Frogs like dark, moist homes with lots of food nearby. Getting rid of structures where frogs can hide, like wood piles or piles of brush or leaves, helps. If you have a large lawn, consider mowing it regularly and keeping it shorter than a buzz cut. This keeps the mosquitoes and other frog food populations at a lower level. If you can find the location where they are breeding, scoop out the frog eggs every time you see them. Also, hiring some kids to catch the frogs by hand is very effective. Younger kids will do anything for money: Frogs for sale!
In the end, assess your situation and decide for yourself what lengths you are willing to go to and how much you are willing to sacrifice to get rid of frogs. If you only have a couple of frogs, try the hands-on approach, i.e. catch them by hand. It’s easy and saves your plants. If you have more than a few frogs and you just absolutely must get rid of them even though they are crucial to our environment and eat nasty disease-carrying bugs, use the methods described here and you should see success.
SAUNUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.
