The State of Florida has a mosquito control program, we need a program just like this that deals with Cuban Treefrogs. Even if we cannot get rid of the whole population, we need to at least control them!
Noxious Invasive Cuban Treefrogs are destructive to Florida's native ecosystem. They cost millions in power outages because they short circuit utility switches. They can also cause seziures in your pets when they come into contact. They secrete a noxious burning agent that can kill your pets if they are ingested, and since they are easy to catch, they are a real danger to your pets. Cuban treefrogs live and breed in the sewer system and can transmit diseases. they will eat native frogs and out compete with native tadpoles. These invasive frogs secrete toxins that trigger asthma attacks and cause burning to open wounds and mucous membranes, I am personal witness to this and was stuggling to breathe one night when some got in my mouth after handing these frogs, it can cause your throat to inflame and swell up, causing suffocation. Cuban frogs will evict birds out of their nests and will eat young chicks, they eat anything that can fit in their mouths. They also make a lot of noise and keep people up at night and lay their eggs in every bit of water that they can find. They have displaced almost all native treefrog species here in Florida. Cuban treefrogs will hang out in your front entrance and hop on you unexpectedly causing anxiety, yuck!!! Also, if they do this, they could cause an asthma attack if you suffer these. I could go on about this. I have witnessed Cuban treefrogs eat a beloved green anole in my front porch, fortunately I saved him and captured the frogs.
From my mere observations, Cuban treefrogs struggle in the cold and tend to breed when it is super warm and humid. Native treefrogs may be able to breed in cooler water than Cuban tree frogs. I have been told by neighbors that Cuban treefrogs will straight out die in hard freezes. These noxious frogs use our buildings and the sewers in the winter to stay warm. The state could research on how to use these weaknesses in helping to eliminate these invasive frogs. Cuban treefrogs also have a distinct call and possible pheromone that attracts only them, this could be used to help lure and destroy them. They are fairly easy to find and catch at night. The state could hire researchers to help find a pathogen that only targets them and none of the other frog species. I am not an expert, but these are my plain observations. We need to talk to the state about funding a program on destroying these frogs once and for all.
