Hoppy Days Ahead: What To Do If You Find Frogs In The Toilet
Frogs need moisture to keep their bodies from drying out and can often be found near sources of water. Sometimes that water source is your toilet bowl. That's right, frogs can and do swim up your drain pipe and suddenly appear in your toilet bowl. Although it is not a common occurrence, if you are weary of these critters, you probably don't want one to greet you when you're in a private act. Here's what you need to know to rid your toilet of frogs and prevent them from coming back.
How do frogs get in the toilet anyway?
Assuming your youngster hasn't slipped his amphibious friend into the bowl for a swim, the frog likely swam up the drain pipe. It may have entered the sewer through cracks or breaks in your pipes. Because frogs are amphibians, they have moist skin that can be damaged when it dries out. They seek out moist areas, like your sewer, to keep their skin moist.
Frogs can also enter the drain pipe by falling into the vent pipe to your sewer system. The vent pipe is typically located along the side of your home or on the roof, which makes it within easy reach for tree frogs. According to The Tampa Bay Times, tree frogs often climb trees and drop to the roof because they like to sunbathe and absorb the heat from the shingles on the roof. But, their enjoyment may be short-lived if the sun's rays get too hot. They may seek relief from the heat and climb into the vent pipe where they plummet into the drain. In an attempt to get free, the frog may swim or climb up your toilet drain and surface in your toilet.
What do you do if you find frogs in the toilet?
Finding frogs in the toilet can be a big surprise, but for most people it isn't a cause for fear. If you are comfortable with handling frogs, simply remove the frog from the toilet and release it outside. Frogs may try to hide under the rim of the toilet. If your visitor pulls this trick, place a fishnet or container under the frog and flush the toilet to get him to loosen his grip on the toilet bowl. Catch him before he is flushed into the bowl. Otherwise, call your local pest control service to remove the frog humanely.
How do you prevent frogs from getting into the toilet?
Keeping frogs out of the toilet isn't as difficult as it may seem. In fact, you can do some of the work yourself.
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Cover the open end of the vent pipe with hardware cloth. You can purchase this at the hardware store. It will prevent frogs from entering the pipe and dropping into your drains. If that isn't an option, there are things you can do to discourage frogs on the roof.
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Cut back trees and shrubs so branches do not hang over the roof. If tree frogs can't get to the roof, they can't get into the vent pipe.
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Turn off outside lights at night, especially if the lights are mounted so that they light up the roof. Lights attract flying insects, which in turn send a beacon to frogs that food is in good supply.
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Call your plumber to inspect your drains. He can locate and replace or repair broken and cracked pipes that allow frogs to crawl into your drains.
Frogs in the toilet may not be your idea of a hopping good time, but remember these critters have likely lost their way and will be eager to be released outside. For more information about contacting local plumbing services to help repair your pipes and keep frogs out of your toilet, you can visit this site or others like it.
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