Cane Toads and Indian Mynas – they don’t know they have to die!

Cane Toads (Bufo marinus) are introduced pests and a key threatening process under the EPBC Act (1999), but killing them should still be done humanely! — and without damaging the water or ground they are in or on at the time.

Pest control was a frequent topic of conversation at the Floriade Bush Friendly Garden (BFG) (see previous post) because of the garden’s theme of replacing and disposing of pest plants. There was also a Myna trap on display, showing the wire-cage design that has successfully been catching Indian Myna birds in ACT (for humane disposal). These cages are available free or to build yourself from plans provided via an internet link, http://www.indianmynaaction.org.au/trapping_help.htm.

(In these photos of the Myna trap, the snake is an ornament attached to the fence, and nothing to do with the cage/trap.) 

Visitors seeing the Myna trap at the BFG naturally then told us their own or their neighbours’ experiences with trapping Indian Mynas. The conversation sometimes extended into ways to manage or kill other pest animals. I heard how people deal with Cane Toads, snakes and possums, and I reciprocated with our family’s method for small ants invading the kitchen food cupboards (spray them with Vanilla Fridge-wipe and sweep up the bodies).

One weekend I was told that spraying an adult Cane Toad on the back with Dettol kills it quickly: “Three hops and it’s dead”. However, the person, from Queensland, warned that the liquid should only be applied as a gentle stream (not spray), because it will kill the grass around the toad as well if you‘re not careful.

A check on the web shows that this is very true. Dettol is a poison, and it poisons the environment. It is prohibited for use, the person told me, in jurisdictions such as WA.

Humane ways are available for killing Cane Toads. The webpage of the RSPCA knowledge base looks like the one to visit first to find out about them. See: http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-most-humane-way-to-kill-a-cane-toad_299.html.

That RSPCA page recommends Hopstop® as the best method. It says:

“Hopstop® is an aerosol spray that has been specifically developed for killing cane toads and is now commercially available for this purpose. When applied in sufficient quantity it appears to be an effective, easy to use and relatively humane method.”

Other webpages look responsible and informative, too, though the ranking of humane methods can vary.

For example, the webpage at http://www.frogsafe.org.au/cane_toads/dispose.shtml points out firmly that:

“just because the toad is a pest, this is NO EXCUSE for animal cruelty and sadism. The toad doesn't know it's a pest and it feels pain like all other living animals. Cane toads should be killed humanely and this means methods which invoke the least amount of pain and stress.”

That ‘frogsafe’ webpage (which is part of a website devoted to amphibians in Queensland) also emphasises that you need to be sure you are accurately identifying Cane Toad eggs, tadpoles or adults. If you are certain, the 'frogsafe' webpage continues, then:

“For example, you can pull their eggs out of ponds and dams; you can scoop up tadpoles with aquarium nets and you can hunt for young toads and adults. You can volunteer to join organised groups who are working to clear cane toads from a particular site...”

A webpage at http://www.canetoadsinoz.com/killingtoads.html warns against using Dettol.

I like the look of the fridge/freezer method, reminiscent of lulling crayfish to sleep in warm water before boiling them (if you can catch them, as in Gary Clark’s ‘Swamp’ series of cartoons). But the fridge/freezer does not apparently kill as humanely or as thoroughly as Hopstop.

The Australian Government Department of Environment has a policy on Cane Toads, at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/cane-toads.html. The webpage explains that because of the poison sacs on their shoulders, Cane Toads are an ecological threat to carnivores including quolls, snakes, goannas and crocodiles that prey on them. They also threaten the existence of other native species such as frogs, presumably by competition for food sources.

Children and pets are also at risk if they contact the toads’ poison.

The policy does not seem to offer ways of controlling individual Cane Toads.