BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — It’s cane toad season in Southwest Florida and that could be dangerous news for your pets. Pesky Varmints, a Pest control company is warning, thousands of these toxic amphibians are breeding rapidly and showing up in neighborhoods, parks, and backyards, especially after rainfall and during evening hours.
Lindsey Floyd is the co-owner of the Pesky Varmints.
Watch as she shows the bags of toads she has in her freezers.
“One female cane toad can lay up to 30,000 eggs twice a year," she said.
Floyd says her team removes between 500 and 1,000 cane toads every night across Southwest Florida. Right now, she says they’re nearing the end of the first breeding round of the year.
They secrete a potent toxin that can kill pets like dogs and cats and can also harm wildlife.
That’s why Bonita Springs resident Lynn Doty keeps a close eye on her two dogs, especially after dark.
“I’m terrified that they might one day bite one and get poisoned to death,” Doty says, “After it rains, a lot of times you see them in the street, in puddles. I can hear them making noise at night... they’re all around here.”
Cane toads can be hard to distinguish from Florida’s native Southern toads. Floyd says to look for a flat head that resembles a shield. That’s a clear sign it’s a cane toad.
As the rainy season continues, pet owners are urged to supervise their animals during evening hours and avoid letting them roam unsupervised in areas near water.
