Cane Toads
Cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced to Queensland in 1935 to help control the cane beetle. They successfully adapted to Australian conditions and spread throughout News South Wales, Western Australian and the Northern Territory.
Cane toads have no legal requirement for control as they are not listed as a restricted pest under the Biosecurity Act 2014.
For more information about cane toads visit the Queensland Government website.
How you can prevent and control cane toads on your property
Here are some simple actions you can take to reduce cane toads on your property:
- Don’t have free standing water around your home.
- Cover your pool whenever possible.
- Turn off your outside lights.
- Toads don’t climb or jump very well, in fact they don’t jump higher than 50cm. Create a barrier around your pond using dense sedges, shrubs and grass to stop the cane toads breeding. You can visit the IndigiScapes Community Native Nursery for expert advice on the best plants to choose.
- Remove cane toad eggs from your ponds.
- Get involved in regular cane toad busting.
- Record your cane toad sighting using the Toad Scan App
- While cane toads are pest animals they deserve humane treatment and to be euthanized quickly and appropriately. Visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) website for instructions on humane euthanasia of toads.
You may also find this guide to controlling cane toads helpful.