How to Get Rid of Bull Frogs

Bullfrogs are one of the largest frog species found in North America. They inhabit just about any large permanent waterways including swamps, lakes, ponds and even backyard swimming pools. Although they prefer the warm, humid climate of the southeastern portion of the United States, they can be found in every state across the country. Bullfrogs average anywhere from 3 to 6 inches in length and will eat just about anything they can fit into their mouths. This makes them of special concern when they inhabit backyard water gardens and fish ponds. There are a number of ways to get rid of unwanted bullfrogs.

Things You'll Need

  • Mothballs
  • Cypermethrin
  • Lemon juice
  • Hot water
  • Bird netting
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the frog's food source. Spray the area around the pond or garden with cypermethrin, which is a synthetic insecticide designed to kill the insects that your guest is feeding on. While bullfrogs do not feed on insects exclusively, they do make up a large part of the bullfrog's diet.

    • 2

      Set out repellent. While there is no repellent made for bullfrogs specifically, using repellents made for snakes generally work. Snake repellents contain compounds such as naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both of which can be found in mothballs. Spread a few mothballs around the edge of the pond, being careful not to introduce any into the water itself. You should also make sure that rain runoff cannot enter the pond area since the mothballs will melt and the repellent compounds are toxic to fish.

    • 3

      Spray the area with a citric acid mixture. Spray lemon juice on the plants and soil around your pond. It will kill frogs that come into contact with it but not harm the insects or fish in your pond.

    • 4

      Spray hot water. If the use of chemicals simply doesn't work, try spraying the area around your pond with hot water (116 degrees). This will kill any resident frogs as well as a host of insects and even a few pesky reptiles. This technique is also environmentally friendly.

    • 5

      Install bird netting. After the current frogs have been removed, install some bird netting around your pond area to keep new bullfrogs from moving in.