10 Easy Ways to Keep Frogs Away From Your House

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Do you know that frog croak you hear at night? It starts off low, and you probably get a laugh out of it and maybe try to get a good look at that tiny creature.

Before long, the croaks start to multiply, and before you know it, your garden is full of these pesky frogs! 

Obviously, no one wants to sleep to a chorus of croaking sounds! You may think killing the frogs is the way to go, but it won’t take long before other frogs take refuge in your garden again. Besides, who wants to kill frogs when you can get rid of them safely?

To get rid of the frogs around your house, you first need to understand why they are there in the first place. Frogs are amphibians, so they usually prefer a combination of water and soil.

They are probably staying in your garden because it’s convenient and well-protected, and if there is running water nearby, or a pond, it’ll be harder to get rid of them because they’ll lay eggs.

Thankfully, I’m here to help! If you want to learn how to keep frogs away from your house, check my tips below:

1 – Turning Off the Lights

You might have noticed that flying insects like to swarm around the lights by your house. If the windows are closed, you can just peer outside and you’ll see flies and mosquitoes buzzing around any lights installed outside.

Now, which animal loves to feast on these insects? Of course, a frog!

It won’t take long for a frog to figure out that it can find a consistent supply of food if it just stays near the light. In most cases, frogs have to forage for food and insects on the ground, so finding them without going anywhere is obviously a boon for the amphibian.

Within a few days, the frogs will bring friends, and you’ll find your garden hosting a feeding party of the insects outside.

Luckily, this problem’s solution is an easy one: turn off the lights!

By keeping the outdoor lights off, you’re basically cutting the food supply off for the frogs.

When that happens, they’ll start looking for new places. If there is a light on anywhere on the street, they might venture there, leaving your property alone.

Aside from keeping frogs away, turning your lights off at night also saves a great deal of energy. If you don’t want the hassle of turning it on and off constantly, you can always get motion sensor outdoor lights.

These lights will turn on whenever you open the door to go inside, saving plenty of energy and making sure that you don’t have to worry about frogs.

2 – Maintain Proper Water Drainage

Another thing that you need to know about frogs is that they require a considerable amount of water to remain alive. Without water, they won’t be able to live, much less reproduce.

Frogs lay their eggs in water, and these tadpoles hatch under the water only and then swim to the surface. That’s why they mostly only stay in gardens with consistent water supply. So, to get rid of them, you merely have to cut off that supply.

If you have any spots on your property where water tends to pool up, it’s better to start fixing them.

If you have a pond in your garden, that’s a different issue. I’d usually recommend draining it, but since you probably use it as an outdoor decoration or keep fish in it, you can always use frog-proof mesh.

All you have to do is lay it over the pond, and it’ll keep the frogs out. When frogs start to realize that their access to the water is denied, they’ll scurry away to look for a new source.

If you have a pool in your yard, see my tips on keeping frogs out of a swimming pool.

3 – Clean up the Garden or the Yard

By now, you might have realized that all of the steps here follow a similar theme: making your place as inhospitable as possible for the frogs.

After dealing with the lights and the water sources, now it’s time for those tall weeds in your yard. Frogs tend to hide between the greenery to lay eggs without being disturbed, so your tall grass may be the reason they’re not going anywhere.

By mowing your grass regularly and removing all weeds, you’ll get rid of the hiding places that frogs like, and they’ll have to move away.

If you don’t know much about mowing and taking care of the weeds in your yard, you can always hire a local landscaping company. They’ll send a gardener over to your place to take care of the weeds and grass. 

Alternatively, you can check some landscaping tips and attempt to maintain your garden on your own.

4 – Getting Rid of the Tadpoles

Frogs generally lay eggs once they find a discreet, secluded spot. If you’re giving them such a spot on your property, there’s a high chance they’re laying eggs and waiting for them to hatch.

Here’s how the process goes: the frogs lay thousands of eggs in a pond or any water source in your garden. When these eggs hatch, the tadpoles simply swim up to the surface, and then they grow into frogs. 

When the tadpoles swim to the surface, that’s when you should take action to break the cycle. It might seem harsh, but it’s the only way to avoid a frog infestation in your garden.

All you need is a thin net, usually one designed for aquarium fish, and you’ll use it to scoop out all of the tadpoles.

Now, you can either move all of these tadpoles to a corner of the local lake or a pond far away from your house, or you can just put them under the sun.

The heat of the sun coupled with the dryness is enough to get rid of them within a day.

Again, this may seem insensitive, but frogs lay eggs by thousands, so you’ll hardly make a dent in their population.

5 – Using Bleach Spray

Another effective solution that you can use is bleach spray. However, keep in mind that it’s a bit risky and you have to wear a mask and gloves before you decide to use it on your own.

All you need for the spray is a bit of bleach and a small amount of water. You have to dilute the bleach in water before you spray it on your porch, windows, and exterior of the house.

Bleach is poisonous to amphibians, so once the frogs smell it, they’ll scurry away. 

Remember that spraying the bleach on your plants may stunt their growth, so make sure to only spray it on windows and so on.

If you want, you can dilute the mixture by a considerable margin and then spray it on the plants, but I don’t recommend that.

6 – Using Salt

Frogs are amphibians, which means they have wet skin. They do not like salt on their skin, so sprinkling a bit of it around your house, especially on the edge of your fencing or under the shrubs, is a safe idea to get rid of them.

Alternatively, you can sprinkle the salt around a waterway or a pond.

Remember that getting salt near your plants or soil isn’t a good idea. It might damage the roots or cause stunted growth, so practice caution while using it in your garden.

7 – Using Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds affect the frog’s skin in a very similar way that salt does. They cause an unpleasant feeling, so the frogs will try to run if they catch a sniff of the potent smell.

All you have to do is sprinkle these coffee grounds around your house. Not only do they give off an excellent smell, but they’ll also help you get rid of the frogs.

It’s worth noting, though, that coffee grounds are a temporary solution because the smell will go away overnight. It won’t keep the frogs away for long.

8 – Vinegar Spray

Another effective, cost-effective method to get rid of frogs from your property is to use vinegar spray. It causes an itchy, burning feeling on the frogs’ feet, causing them to run away.

You can mix vinegar and water in equal parts and then spray it around the garden, making sure to cover spots where you have seen these animals congregate.

A good alternative is to use lemon juice spray. It doesn’t only burn the frogs’ feet, but they also don’t like the citrusy smell.

However, make sure you use only natural lemon juice if you want to get the smell right.

If you’re usually busy or don’t have time to deal with the frog issue, the last option available to you is to call a local pest control company. These professionals will visit your property, look for frogs, and get rid of them in one go.

9 – Use Natural Predators

If you don’t want to get any chemicals near your garden, you can always rely on how nature works to get rid of the frogs.

Nature is all about predators and prey, and while frogs prey on insects, snakes and cats prey on frogs, and you can use that to your advantage.

Getting a couple of cats or snakes in your garden for a short while is enough to scare the frogs away. However, it’s worth noting that you have to do enough research first.

You have to identify the types of frogs you’re dealing with to make sure they’re not poisonous to cats or snakes. Then, you have to make sure cats and snakes actually feed on these frogs.

The rest is easy! You’ll let nature work its wonders.

10 – Set Up Fencing

If all else fails, you’ll have no option but to set up fencing around your garden. It’s not the best option in terms of aesthetics, but it’ll keep your garden safe not only from frogs but from other pesky creatures as well.

You can use thin mesh netting if you don’t want to use plastic. Most importantly, don’t use chicken wire because frogs can get through it without a hitch. 

On top of that, remember to give the fencing enough height. Frogs are notorious for their leaping abilities, so a short fence won’t keep them out.

If you set the fence up and the frogs stop coming nearby, you can take it down after a couple of months. Frogs will have probably moved on from the area.

Getting Rid of Frogs

If you want to get rid of the frog population in your garden, there is a series of steps that you need to take. 

Step 1: Identify the Frogs

First of all, you have to identify the frog species on your property. That way, you know if they’re invasive and if you’re legally allowed to kill them.

Bullfrogs, for instance, contribute to the transmission of infectious diseases and have led to the direct extinction of more than a hundred other frog species. They’re common around the country, so there’s a good chance some of the frogs in your garden are bullfrogs.

Then, you have the cane toads and Cuban tree frogs, which need to be taken care of too.

Step 2: Check the Laws

After identifying the frogs, you’ll want to check the laws in your region. There’s a high chance you won’t be allowed to kill noninvasive frog species.

If you are not sure about the frog species on your property, it would be a wise idea to take a picture and send it to the local Wildlife Authority in your area. They will identify it for you and refer you to the laws associated with that species.

Step 3: Remove the Pet Food

If you have pets in your house, you’ll want to remove their food from your garden. 

Pet food is a common attractant, and it brings quite a few wild animals around because they get drawn to the smell.

If you don’t think twice about the bowl of food that your cat or your dog left outdoors, you might want to start changing that.

The best thing to do is to start feeding your animal at specific times. Make sure that once the pet is fed, you take away the food bowl, so you don’t forget it outside.

Step 4: Get Rid of the Frogs

Now, you can introduce a few repellents and solutions to get rid of the frogs.

As I mentioned earlier, natural predators such as cats and snakes like to feast on frogs, so you can use those.

If you don’t want to use animals, you can always use a net to physically remove all the frogs from your property. It’s best to put them in a net and take them to a far-off location.

If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos, and more, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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