Nothing can give you more of a fright than finding a creature in your toilet bowl. Luckily, frogs are mostly harmless. In this article, I will explain what to do if you find frogs in your toilet, and how to keep frogs out of your toilet.
As a general rule, you should remove any frogs by catching them and putting them outside. It’s rare for frogs to get into a toilet. If you find frogs in your toilet regularly then frog numbers may need to be reduced. Also, install a mesh over your vent pipe to stop them from entering there.
There is a range of ways a frog can end up in a toilet. Below, I will cover how they get in, how to keep frogs away, and ways to prevent frogs from getting into your plumbing and toilet.
How Frogs Get Into a Toilet [So You Can Keep Them Out]
There are a few ways that frogs can get into a toilet. Some are obvious, some are not so obvious. These are:
- By swimming up the sewer pipe
- By simply hopping in after coming in through a window
- By crawling or falling down the vent
A curious frog or a frog that is looking for greener pastures can decide it’s a good idea to swim up the sewer pipe. It will eventually find its way into your toilet and decide it’s a good place to hang out.
Another way frogs can get into your toilet is through an open window or another part of your house. They can get into your bathroom, and then decide to camp out in your toilet. Finally, they can get in through the vent. As you may know, plumbing systems have an open-air vent that goes from the plumbing all the way to the roof.
A frog can be on the roof and then climb down, or fall down the vent. Then swim, up to your toilet. When a toilet is used regularly a frog that is making its way up the sewer pipes or vent will get flushed out. But, given an hour or so, a frog can easily make it into your toilet.
Why frogs come into your toilet
When frog numbers get large, frogs can seek out new habitats so that they aren’t competing for the same food source. This is the main reason a frog will venture out from their natural habitat.
Frog numbers can get very large at certain times of the year. Especially if there is an ample supply of food.
How to get a frog out of your toilet
Frogs are fairly easy to catch, using a bucket and a towel. Or, simply with your hands. Try to usher them into a bucket then put a towel or something similar on top to stop them from jumping out again. Then you can place them outside. In extreme cases, frogs can hide out in your toilet. Here’s a video where a huge number of frogs are hanging out in a toilet.
Ways to stop frogs from coming into your toilet
If frogs come in through a window, another part of your house, or swim up the sewer pipe there are many things you can install to keep them out without going to extreme measures that typically aren’t worth it.
But, a metal mesh can fairly easily be installed on the opening for the vent that exits on your roof. Which can be worth it, if frogs regularly enter your toilet. For the other ways it’s best to take measures to keep frog numbers low with the help of a pest control company, or with the following methods:
- Spraying salt water around the perimeter of your home
- Putting down coffee grounds around the perimeter of your home
Various frog experts have stated that frogs have permeable skin. This makes them sensitive to slightly acidic conditions. Not only do their eggs not survive in salt water, but tadpoles and adult frogs also can’t tolerate salt water. Salt is slightly acidic.
Therefore, filling up a spray bottle with salty water and spraying it around the perimeter of your home is a great way to deter frogs. Theoretically, you can put dry salt down. But, salt water spray won’t be visible.
Other acidic things you can put around the perimeter of your home are, lemon juice, vinegar, and coffee grounds. The one thing to be wary of is that some plants don’t do well in acidic soils. So, put coffee grounds a fair distance from plants to not affect the soil too much. Or reserve for areas around acid-loving plants.
What Scents Keep Frogs Away
Various scents are good for keeping away various pests. The advantage of them is that they are very easy to use. But, are there any scents that keep frogs away?
As a general rule, there are no scents that keep frogs away. However, frogs dislike acidic conditions. Therefore, a saltwater spray, lemon juice, or vinegar are great deterrents and can be applied where you don’t want frogs to go.
Various sources online claim that peppermint oil naturally repels frogs. However, I did a tonne of research into how well it works. And so far there is no concrete evidence to suggest that it does in fact work. In my opinion, it’s worth a try.
How Do You Get Rid of Unwanted Frogs
During certain seasons, and when food sources are readily available frog numbers can get very large. In other cases, you can live close to an area that is particularly hospitable to frogs. When you have a frog problem, here’s how to get rid of unwanted frogs.
Generally, it’s best to have a pest control company remove frogs for you. Frogs can be removed yourself by catching them. However, many species of frogs are endangered. Therefore, it’s best to first identify what type of frogs they are before removing them.
There are so many species of frogs that it can take some time to identify them. For this reason, it’s best to catch and release frogs. But, due to the fact that some are endangered, you can be potentially breaking a law by catching them, and then putting them somewhere far away. So, it’s best to have a pest control company help you get rid of unwanted frogs.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.