GATEWAY, Fla. — Gateway residents are taking the cane toad issue into their own hands, with some even hunting the invasive species in their neighborhood to protect their pets.
Richard Holtswarth, a Gateway resident, has begun hunting cane toads after noticing an increase in their population.
"If anything happened to her we would just be devastated," Holtswarth said about his one-and-a-half-year-old Yorkie named Bella.
"We're afraid to walk our puppy at night after dark, and there's a lot of people in the subdivision. They're afraid to walk their dogs at night after dark simply because of the cane toads," Holtswarth said.
Holtswarth said, "They were getting a lot worse this year than they even were last year."
He uses a pellet gun to humanely kill cane toads, which is allowed by FWC. He finds the toads in his front yard, koi pond, street, and pretty much everywhere around his property and neighborhood.
See how Holtswarth gets rid of cane toads in Gateway Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report:
On his first toad hunt, Holtswarth killed approximately 35 toads. In a more recent hunt, he killed 50.
"Even if a car hits one in the road and the dog goes up and sniffs it and gets a little bit of the poison on its nose, it'll probably kill them," Holtswarth said.
Neighbors have begun texting Holtswarth to come hunt toads on their properties. He disposes of the toads in bags and freezes them while waiting for trash day.
Gateway Services Community Development District sent this statement to Fox 4 when asked about the cane toad issue,
The increasing presence of cane toads is a growing trend not only in Gateway, but across many communities in SWFL.
District Staff have already looked into whether anything could be safely sprayed in the ponds, given that cane toads are drawn to water. However, no viable options were identified.
Because this is a regional issue affecting many communities, it may be more appropriately addressed at the county level in coordination with the relevant agencies. The District will continue working with local and regional partners to identify effective solutions.
While the District is not involved in managing or removing cane toads, we do urge residents to be cautious, especially with pets outdoors. There are a number of humane and professional resources available for both individual homeowners and HOAs to take advantage of. These services can assist with identifying, removing, and preventing cane toad populations.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers guidance on humane removal and management of invasive species.
For residents who aren't neighbors with Holtswarth, there are professional services like Toad Busters, a toad removal and poison prevention company.
Toad Busters technician Austin Begon explains that Southwest Florida provides an ideal environment for cane toads to thrive.
Toad Busters operates like a regular pest control company, removing as many toads as possible on the first visit.
"Ultimately, removes the number of them breeding for the next upcoming season. They breed year round," Begon said.
Find more information here on how to humanely get rid of cane toads here.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
