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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Homeowner’s Guide to
Protecting Frogs — Lawn &
Garden Care
Amphibians, such as frogs, toads, and
salamanders, are highly susceptible to
contaminants, including fertilizers,
weed and pest killers, and detergents,
released into their environment. This
is because amphibians breathe, at
least in part, and absorb water through
their skin providing an easier way for
contaminants to enter the animals
bodies. Amphibian eggs and larvae
(tadpoles) are especially susceptible to
these toxic substances. Exposure to
contaminants during development can
lead to frogs with many different types
of malformations including frogs
without eyes, with extra or missing
legs and, in some cases, the
malformations may be deadly.
Contaminants biologists from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service are currently
studying the effects of these
contaminants on frogs. They are
conducting surveys across the United
States to learn more about the possible
role that contaminants play in
amphibian malformations.
Division of Environmental Contaminants
Homeowner’s Guide to Protecting Frogs
Homeowners use up to 10 times more
chemical pesticides per acre on their
lawns than farmers use on crops, and they
spend more per acre, on average, to
maintain their lawns than farmers spend
per agricultural acre. During a rain, the
pesticides and fertilizers you put on your
lawn can be carried by runoff and end up
contaminating a stream or wetland dozens
of miles away. Contaminants can also be
carried for long distances through the air
and deposited on land and in water by
rain or fog. Such examples of pollution
are called “non-point source” pollution.
A healthy adult leopard frog. Photo credit: Corel Corp.
Choose non-chemical weed
controls whenever possible:
Mulching, spading, hoeing and pulling
up weeds are good ways to avoid weed
growth rather than applying weed killer.
Leave the grass clippings from
mowing to decompose on your lawn
(feeding your lawn this way is equal to
fertilizing it once or twice a year).
You may not think that you can make a
difference, but caring for your lawn in an
environmentally sensible way can have a
bigger impact than you might think. Your
lawn is only a small piece of land, but all
the lawns across the country cover a lot of
ground. That means your lawn care
activities, along with everyone else’s, can
make a difference to the environment. If
you use pesticides and other chemicals to
maintain your lawn and garden, you can
help reduce the amount of pollution
reaching our nation’s waters and harming
frogs, as well as other fish and wildlife, by
changing the way you care for your yard.
Use compost in your garden to
develop healthy soils and reduce the
need for chemical fertilizers.
Minimize fertilizer use:
Over-
fertilization is a common problem.
Fertilizing more than the recommended
rate does not help plants grow better and
often harms them. In addition, excess
fertilizer will likely wash into streams and
rivers and may lead to amphibian
deformities and deaths. Researchers at
Oregon State University recently
discovered that even low levels of nitrates
(a compound found in fertilizers) are
enough to kill some species of
amphibians. Help prevent pollution from
fertilizer by taking these actions:
Have your soil tested to find out
exactly what nutrients it needs in
order to avoid applying unnecessary
fertilizers. Your County Agricultural
Extension Service will test your soil
for a reasonable fee.
Use organic fertilizers rather than
synthetic ones. Organic fertilizers
release more slowly into the
environment and create healthier soils.
Other Suggestions:
Surf the World Wide Web:
Several
web sites can teach you more about
caring for frogs, your lawn and garden,
backyard wildlife conservation, and
reducing non-point source pollution.
Here are a few web sites to get you
started:
Apply fertilizer when the soil is moist
and lightly water. This will help the
fertilizer move into the root zone
instead of blowing or washing away.
However, be sure to check the weather
forecast in order to avoid applying
fertilizers immediately before a heavy
rain which may wash the fertilizers into
the nearby streams.
Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and
debris out of street gutters and storm
drains. These outlets drain directly
into lakes, streams, rivers, and
wetlands. Pet wastes contain bacteria
and viruses that can threaten fish,
wildlife, and people.
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Environmental Contaminants
Program:
Avoid dumping oil, antifreeze, or
other household chemicals into storm
drains or sewers, down the drain of
your sink, or into the toilet. Contact
your local Solid Waste Management
Office to find out how to dispose of
these materials properly.
Calibrate your applicator to make
sure you apply the correct amount of
fertilizer.
The U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s Office of Pesticide
Programs:
pesticides
Reduce your dependence on
pesticides:
Minimize the attraction of pests
such as rats, therefore reducing the
need for pesticides, by moving wood
piles away from the house and clearing
away litter and garbage.
The Natural Resource Conservation
Service’s Backyard Conservation:
http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/
Backyard.html
You can help keep the environment clean
and the frogs healthy by following these
simple tips. If everyone does their part
to protect the environment, all types of
fish and wildlife, including frogs, will
enjoy a cleaner, healthier environment.
The National Biological Information
Infrastructure’s Frog Web:
Provide good drainage to prevent
standing water that will attract pests
such as mosquitoes. This will eliminate
the need to apply bug sprays.
Many of the methods described above
are part of an Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) approach to pest
control. IPM is a common-sense
approach that uses good planning, pest
monitoring, and appropriate control
methods, including the judicious use of
pesticides when necessary, to get the best
long-term results with the least
disruption of the environment. To get
more information on IPM, check with
your County Agricultural Extension
Service, the National Pesticide
Telecommunications Network,
environmental organizations, or your
public library. Many state universities
have IPM information that you can
access through the World Wide Web.
Other lawn and garden care
information sources include your state’s
natural resource agencies, native plant
societies, local conservatories, and
greenhouses.
National Pesticide
Telecommunications Network:
http://nptn.orst.edu
1.800.858.7378
Plant native grasses, shrubs, and
trees. Native plants are often hardier
than non-native plants and less
susceptible to pests and disease.
Put an assortment of plants in your
yard to increase biological diversity
and encourage a variety of beneficial
organisms that provide natural pest
control.
Rotate the plants in your annual
garden. Changing the type of plants
you grow each year, makes it harder
for pests dependent on a certain type
of plant to become established, and
therefore, eliminates the need for
pesticides.
Grow plants that are natural insect
repellents, such as lemon balm, among
your flowers and vegetables to help
keep unwanted insects away.
U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Division of Environmental Contaminants
4401 North Fairfax Dr., Suite 320
Arlington, Virginia 22203
(703) 358-2148
http://contaminants.fws.gov
If you use bug spray, make sure it
does not contain DEET, which is
extremely harmful to amphibians.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
Many household products, such as
kitchen, laundry, and bath disinfectants
and sanitizers, flea and tick sprays
and powders, and swimming pool
chemicals, are pesticides. Try to
avoid using these substances in excess
or near water sources.
July 3, 2000
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