Loud toads and frogs and neighbors

[txpond]

I had a question about toads and frogs and was told that I may get an answer if I bounced it off of your group. 
 
I have a pond in my backyard with goldfish in it.  Over the years we get the occasional toad at night.  This year it has been abnormally busy in the backyard.  We have MANY toads and a handful of frogs.  Although they are unseen during the day, at night, the frogs are croaking and chirping and the toads have a very long siren of a call.  We love reptiles and love the frogs and toads.  Unfortunately, I am unable to sleep when they get loud and I can deal with that.  My concern is that I have a pond hobby that may be keeping the neighbors awake at night.  When you have 20 or so toads calling all at once, it can be very loud for a neighborhood where the houses are close together.  I have been collecting the toads usually 10-25 at a time and relocating them the following morning at a nearby pond. 
 
I recognize that the pond is a great spot for the toads and frogs to hang out and don't blame them for coming over.  I did build the pond for our enjoyment too but now the pond has attracted visitors that can keep me and the neighbors up at night.  I have done some searching on the web and it appears the only solution is getting rid of the pond.  Are there ways to prevent the toads and frogs from finding our back yard?
 

[Riley]

I suggested ear plugs to my neighbor and it's only during breeding time at least here. Maybe they will be understanding.

[Ky Kim]

If you build it they will come.

Hang in there, it won't last very long and they will move on. Then you'll be saying its too quiet out there.

Kim

[Esther]

We have them in two ponds and two large pots. We have them on the pool cover earlier in the spring, in the 4' preform, and a pot in the back yard. We live in an old area that has been built up around us like a city. So houses on both sides of the street---up and down. One pond or another has been here for 9 years and the pool for 40 and no complaints from the neighbors yet. Good thing too. I use ear plugs to sleep through my husband's heavy breathing so don't hear the toads at night. We laugh at them in the evening because they have different voices. When we see them, we try to guess who's the one with the deeper voice etc.

Do you live near a swamp that you get so many?? We have thousands of toads hatch every year but only find maybe a half to a dozen toads doing the mating thing and you'd think there'd be lots more.

[marla]

yep you will get use to it and be able to fall asleep to their sweet sceranade.  I had a neighbor complain about being able to hear our waterfall when we first built, just once though.

[KatFish]

I've not had a complaint either.  Perhaps this is a situation where you wait and see instead of worrying?  Maybe your neighbors love the serenade 

[Kat]

I've not gotten any complaints about my toads or frogs.  Such sounds like you are getting A LOT of them though.

[Kittyzee]

You sound lucky to me, but lots of people don't like the 'moonlight serenade'...   I don't know how to tell you to fix it--when you remove them, they'll just return.   

[LeeAnne151]

My neighbors tell me they love the sound of the tree frogs breeding in our ponds.

 One person walking a dog complained one time walking by but since I am surrounded by barking dogs which are violating the law I'm not worried at all about native frogs who just showed up breeding in my ponds.

The first year we were bothered by the sound, now we barely noticed it. They are increasing every year and now we can hear them off in the distance at other ponds too. (all city)

There is no way to stop them other than filling in the pond.

[KatFish]

  Wow, someone was that rude, just walking by?     I hope they had a pooper scooper, 'cuz that really annoys me! 

[LeeAnne151]

Yes, she made some rude comment to my husband. It was only one frog croaking at the time too. At least she does walk her dog and does carry baggies. She doesn't live on our street, just walks her dog down it every day.

 Most of my neighbors don't pay any attention to their dogs at all. Never see them walking them or playing with them or going in the car with them. Except for the ones that don't bark. Imagine that. Dogs that are with their owners a lot, well exercised, and obedience trained are the ones that don't bark....

Krista and her family (remember the Twinadoes?)  are going to be here this weekend so we'll see what they think of the froggies. Their trailer will be parked twenty feet from the ponds that are full of them.    I hope they won't be too bothered. I don't think they have frogs at home. 

[txpond]

Dont get me wrong, I really like their sound.  It would be quite soothing if it was off in the distance.  The pond is about 25 feet from our bedroom window.  Anyone who has walked out and been within 4 or 5 feet of the toads when they are calling knows how loud just one can be.  Multiply it by 20 and you have some serious volume.

I haven't talked to my neighbors about it and I could be worrying about nothing.  Their windows are much further than 25 feet away.

One of the things I did was add rocks underneath our waterfall to make it quieter.  My reasoning was if the sound of the water did nto travel as far out, then less toads would hear it and come to our house.  Is this reasonable?  If I eliminate the waterfall and convert it into a stream with minimal water sound (vs a waterfall) do you think it would attract less toads?

Thanks again for all your input.

[Holldoll]

Our neighbors have two neighbors (one on each side) and they LOVE the sound.  I agree it's loud when you are right next to them but after they are done breeding it stops, now I just have a LOT of tadpoles to show for it!

[Julles]

Timely topic, because the Houston Pond Society just sent around a question from someone asking how he could get rid of the noisy toads and frogs.

TxPond, I am sure it's not the sound of the waterfall that attracts them, but just the fact that there is a body of water.  The toads and frogs can sense the water, without hearing or seeing it. 

Sorry, if you're gonna have a pond, you're gonna have frogs and toads. 

I would be happy to have even MORE.  I'd sure love some frogs, especially tree frogs. 

[KatFish]

BTW, I hope I didn't come off as rude, just making a comment    I hope you never get a complaint about the frogs/toads 

[karen J]

If anybody complains, tell them you deliberately put the frogs and toads there to drown out the noise from those annoyingly loud chirping birds.

[misstammy]

I love the sound of the frogs. Our pond isn't shallow for them to hang out.
How about cpap machine for the frogs 
Earplugs for the neighbors too.
I requested a small pond so we can have frogs and was voted down!

[PondJoy]

I couldn't resist chiming in....the frogs are my pet peeve for the same reason as you....they are right outside my bedroom!  They are so loud I can't hear the water and I certainly can't sleep!!  The ONLY thing that works is to, you guesed it, go get 'em!  Usually have to do it about twice in the spring....a week ago caught 6 of them and took them to the lake.  Peace and quiet.....aahh....

I have to do it around April and June every year like clockwork.  But once I do the June "clean out" of frogs...that's it for the year (if I get enough of them.)

Best way to catch them?  Flashlight in their eyes and pick them up with your hand (with a heavy duty glove on!)

Julles.....maybe I should bring them to you next time?  Happy frogging!

[Kittyzee]

Miss tammy, I was wondering why frogs wouldn't hang out at your pond because it wasn't shallow enough.  I'd never heard that--I've seen frogs in HUGE ponds.  Toads lay eggs in any kind of water (usually shallow, even puddles) then leave once their eggs are laid, then the toadlets leave the water only to return to lay eggs again.  You should be able to have frogs if you want them:  but bullfrogs WILL eat your fish and anything else that will fit into their huge mouths!   

[Zoe]

Oh my gosh it has been crazy here.  In the spring the toads started early. There were tadpoles galore! The sound has been bad in the past but this year it has been crazy at night time. The main thing now is that we have a Westie that cannot resist them and before we know it she is foaming at the mouth then she gets ill. So my husband is a fanatic now rounding up the toads and relocating them. It can be three in the morning and he is outside with a flashlight and bucket. We now know to flush our Westie's mouth out with water right away if she gets a hold of one. I have thought about our neighbors also but they have never complained. We only have one neighbor there is a vacant lot between and behind us.  I have a fan in my bedroom and ear plugs 

Zoe

[misstammy]

I have tried before and find them dead and bloated in the spring. It seems they don't have a bog like area to walk in and out like in my old pond. Most is above ground the rest in below but is straight down as well. I posted a couple pics of pond in pond chat. I have put them in myself and they were not just hibernating when I pulled them out. It is sad.

[Kittyzee]

Oh I see what you mean now tammy.  I live in zone 6 where my pond freezes over in the winter--I'm not sure where you are located.  Frogs go down into the layers of muck at the bottom of my pond and hibernate there.  I'm sure the temps at the bottom are more constant and unchanging than if one would try and overwinter in a pot or a fold of liner.  Those probably wouldn't make it.  The only year I've lost frogs was when it warmed up way early in February and they came out of hibernation only to have the weather plunge back in the frigid 10 degree area and stayed there for about a week.  The frogs buried themselves, never to wake up again--their bodies must not have gone back to that slowed hibernation state to keep them alive.   

[misstammy]

I am near Madison WI. Zone 4. Pond does freeze over in the winter but we run the pumps and keep a hole open but putting hoses at water level.