Ray Wise

Well I am about to embark on a meshing program around our fence line, ( all 300 metres of it). Bunnings etc sell proper fine square mesh wire, (not flimsy chicken wire, although that will work too), that is going to go approx 20cm high from the ground. Cable ties or similar can attach the wire to the fence. Now that its winter, the toads will hibernate and not be seen which is good news, but I'm not going through a season like we just had, plus the many near misses with Leela picking them up. The plan is to stop new toads from just hopping through our fence from the swamp at the back of our property, and once fully meshed, exterminate every single one I can find hidden in the yard. This should reduce their numbers in the yard by heaps, because at the moment there is no way Leela can run around our property at night on her own. Hoo Roo

Great chart, thanks for the link. Although I still haven't mistaken any of our frogs in the last few years for their warty cousins. Their hop, posture, look is unmistakable after chasing them for so long, Hoo Roo

Well one good thing is with winter fast approaching, the toad population will be in hiding for the next few months, which will be a good time to somehow try to "wire mesh" the bottom of our fences, all 300 meters of it. I don't like killing them either, but if I found our very expensive and much loved GSD very ill or worse from one of them, look out toads. I was at a cafe at Natural Bridge on the NSW/Qld border a few months back, and they had a bottle of metho with a snake, with a toad still half in the snakes mouth. The snakes venom killed the toad, and in return the toad did its job on the snake, extremely quickly. Hoo Roo

:D I just now had this same damn thing happen. Taking Leela, our 5 month old GSD for her nightly walk around the yard, and of course she tries to grab every thing that moves, (mostly toads). I have her on a leash, and I carry a torch with us, telling her to "leave it" and make sure she does. She decided to sit in the garden fixated on something, I couldn't see what, and then "POUNCE" like a cat and then spat out a small toad. Shes ok, but it looks like more "toad patrols" tomorrow night for me and my daughter. She carries the bucket, and I carry the Dettol spray. We got 13 fair sized ones the other night, and living on acreage with a swamp down the back, its never ending. I know you shouldn't spray them because some say its its "cruel", but what they can do is far worse and they are a totally useless pest, so I sleep fine at night regarding that point. Leela stays inside at night, buts its a shame when we have to go and get her and drag her inside as night falls, because thats when the pests come out of course. On the other hand our green tree frog population is exploding, great to see. Might have to try the netting suggestions etc on the fence bottoms to try to keep them out. Hoo Roo