Iguanas, toads & wildlife
Iguanas, bufo toads & yard wildlife
Repellents, barriers, trunk guards and pet safety around cane toads.
Iguanas, bufo toads & yard wildlife
Two questions come across our counter more than any other wildlife problem in Delray Beach: how to keep iguanas off the plants and the seawall, and how to make a yard unattractive to bufo toads before a dog finds one.
How do I keep iguanas off my seawall and out of my plants?
There is no product that makes an iguana leave the neighborhood, so the goal is making your yard the least attractive stop on the block. Spray a garlic/capsaicin or egg-solid repellent on the plants they're eating and reapply after every rain — that's the part people skip. Add a motion-activated sprinkler where they bask, wrap smooth sheet metal around fruit-tree and palm trunks so they can't climb, pick up fallen fruit daily, and fill burrows with rock or hardware cloth once you're sure nothing is inside. Florida classifies green iguanas as an invasive species and rules on removal change, so check current FWC guidance before you trap or relocate anything.
What do I do about bufo (cane) toads in my yard?
Treat it as a pet-safety project first. Bufo toads are drawn to water, pet food and the insects swarming your outdoor lights. Bring bowls in at night, fix leaks and drips, switch exterior bulbs to yellow bug bulbs, cut back low dense ground cover, and screen or block gaps under fences and pool-cage kick plates. A smooth barrier a foot or so high, buried a couple inches, keeps them off a pool deck. If your dog mouths one, wipe its gums side-to-side with a wet cloth for about ten minutes, keep the water pointed out of the mouth, and call your vet immediately. Never handle one with bare hands, and don't confuse them with our harmless native southern toads — bufos are big, six inches or more, with large triangular glands behind the eyes.
Pet emergency: If a dog or cat mouths a bufo toad, wipe the gums side-to-side with a wet cloth for about ten minutes with the head tilted down so water runs out, not down the throat — then call your veterinarian right away. Symptoms come on fast.