Cane toad removal that treats it like the dog emergency it is
Invasive cane toads — bufo toads — carry a toxin that can poison a dog in minutes. We hunt them after dusk by hand, fence off pet and pool areas, and cut the water and food drawing them in across Palm Beach County. Correct ID, humane, and legal year-round.
Dog-safety
the reason we hurry
After dusk
when we hunt them
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Licensed
insured · humane
A cane toad is a dog emergency, not a garden pest.
Most wildlife calls are about damage or mess. This one is different. A cane toad on the pool deck is a poison hazard sitting where your dog gets let out at night — so we treat it that way. Here's what you're actually dealing with.
A toxin, not just a nuisance
Cane toads carry a milky bufotoxin in the glands behind their heads. It isn't a mild irritant — a dog that licks, bites, or even mouths one can absorb enough to be poisoned within minutes. This is the part of the job that has nothing to do with the toad and everything to do with your pets.
Dogs pay the price fastest
Curious dogs are the usual victims. Heavy drooling, bright-red gums, disorientation, and in bad cases seizures can come on fast, and without quick action it can be fatal. Small dogs and repeat offenders who keep going back for the same toad are the most at risk.
Standing water breeds them
Ponds, pool decks, birdbaths, retention lakes, and even a dish left under a spigot are where cane toads gather and breed, especially in the warm, wet months. Water on the property is the single biggest reason a few toads turn into a nightly crowd.
They own the night
Cane toads are most active after dark and after rain, which is exactly when a dog gets let out for the last time before bed. You may never see them by day — that's why a proper removal happens after dusk with a light, not in the afternoon.
We hunt them when they're out — after dark.
You can't clear cane toads at two in the afternoon; they're hidden and damp somewhere cool. The work is a nighttime job, done by hand, with the ID done right so the native toads stay put.
- 1
Dusk ID & survey
We come after dark, when the toads are out, and walk the property with a light. First job is correct ID — native southern toads are harmless and look similar, so we make sure we're removing the invasive cane toads and leaving the good guys alone.
- 2
Hand-collection
The toads we find get collected by hand and removed. It's slow, careful, low-drama work around the pool deck, beds, and water's edge — no poisons or sprays near where your dogs and kids play.
- 3
Barrier & attractant removal
We look at fencing around pet runs and pool areas, and flag the water and food drawing toads in — pet bowls left out, dish water, and lights that pull in the bugs they eat. Cutting the attractants is what keeps the numbers down between visits.
- 4
Breeding-season follow-ups
Through the warm, wet breeding months a single sweep rarely holds. We schedule follow-up sweeps so the population doesn't rebuild off the water and the neighbor's yard while your dogs are the ones at risk.
No poisons near your dogs. Correct ID every time.
Cane toads aren't protected in Florida, so we can remove them and humanely euthanize them year-round — and the FWC encourages it. But the method matters when there are dogs and kids around. We collect by hand, not with sprays, and we take the time to sort the invasive cane toads from the harmless native ones so the good toads stay where they belong.
- Hand-collected after dusk — no poisons or repellents near pet areas
- Invasive cane toads only; native southern toads left in place
- Humane, FWC-encouraged handling by licensed, insured techs
Toads follow water, food, and light.
Removal clears tonight's toads. Taking away what pulls them in is what keeps the deck clear next week. Four things do most of the work of turning your yard into a cane-toad magnet.
Standing & still water
Ponds, birdbaths, pool overflow, low spots that hold rain, and retention lakes give cane toads somewhere to sit, cool off, and breed. It's the first thing we look at.
Pet food left outside
An outdoor bowl is a buffet — cane toads will feed straight from dog and cat dishes. Bringing food in at night is one of the simplest changes with the biggest payoff.
Outdoor lights
Porch lights, landscape lighting, and pool lights pull in moths and beetles, and the toads follow the bugs. Where and when you run lights makes a real difference near pet areas.
Cover & damp beds
Thick ground cover, mulch beds kept wet by irrigation, and gaps under decks and A/C pads give toads a cool, damp place to hide out the day before the next night's rounds.
Cane toad removal across Palm Beach County.
We're based in Lake Worth and cover the county end to end — the canal neighborhoods, the community lakes out west, and the waterfront where standing water keeps the toads coming. Pick your city for the local read.
Free assessment, quoted to the property.
Cane toad work is priced to what you're actually dealing with, so we don't post a flat number we'd have to walk back. A single dusk sweep of a small yard is one thing; a waterfront lot with a pond and a dog run that needs fencing and a run of breeding-season follow-ups is another. The assessment is free and the quote is in writing before we start.
What an assessment covers
- An after-dusk walk to confirm you've got cane toads and not harmless native ones.
- A read on the water, pet food, and lighting drawing them onto the property.
- Whether barrier fencing around a pool deck or dog run makes sense for you.
- An honest call on a one-time sweep versus follow-ups through breeding season.
What moves the price
Mostly how many toads and how much water we're working with, the size of the property, whether you want fencing installed around pet areas, and how many follow-up sweeps the wet season warrants. A compact yard is near the bottom; a waterfront property with standing water and a real dog-safety concern is scoped to the job. Either way, you see the number first.
Pets, ponds & whole communities
We handle worried dog owners, waterfront homes with ponds and pools, and HOA and community properties where retention lakes keep the toads coming — from Wellington out west to the coast. Cane toads are one of several nuisance species we handle alongside our iguana removal and prevention work, so one crew can sort the whole property. Get in touch and we'll set up the dusk assessment.
What wildlife customers say.
Cane toad questions.
Rinse sideways, then vet — now.
Hose the mouth out sideways for several minutes and get to a vet right away. Then call Nick and we'll clear the toads so it doesn't happen again.
Call (561) 735-1975Are cane toads dangerous to dogs?
Yes — cane toads (bufo toads) are genuinely dangerous to dogs, and that's the whole reason to take them seriously. The glands behind the toad's head secrete a bufotoxin, and a dog that licks, bites, or mouths one can be poisoned within minutes. You'll typically see heavy drooling, bright-red gums, and disorientation, and in bad cases it can progress to seizures and be fatal without fast veterinary care. Small dogs are especially at risk.
How do I tell a cane toad from a native Florida toad?
The biggest tell is size and the glands. Invasive cane toads get large — often 4 to 6 inches or bigger — with large, swollen, triangular parotoid glands running down over the shoulders, while our harmless native southern toads stay small (usually under about 3 inches) with rounder glands and ridges on the head. Because they can look alike and the native ones are beneficial, correct ID matters — sorting the invasive toads from the natives is part of what we do on the dusk survey.
My dog bit a toad — what do I do?
Act immediately. Rinse the dog's mouth out with a hose from the side, pointing the water sideways so it runs out and not down the throat, and keep rinsing for several minutes to wash the toxin off the gums and tongue. Wipe the gums with a cloth if you can. Then get to a vet or emergency animal hospital right away — don't wait to see if it passes. This is general first-aid guidance, not a substitute for a vet; call your veterinarian on the way.
How do you remove cane toads?
We work after dusk with a light, when the toads are actually out, and collect them by hand — no poisons or sprays around where your pets and kids are. We start by confirming ID so we only take the invasive cane toads and leave the native toads alone, then we look at barrier fencing for pet and pool areas and flag the water, pet food, and lighting drawing them in. In the warm, wet breeding season we schedule follow-up sweeps so the numbers don't rebuild.
Are cane toads protected in Florida?
No. Cane toads are an invasive, non-native species in Florida, so they are not protected and can be removed and humanely euthanized year-round on your own property — the FWC actually encourages homeowners to remove them. Native toads, by contrast, are harmless and beneficial, which is exactly why we confirm the ID before we remove anything.
How do I keep them from coming back?
Take away what draws them. The big ones are standing water (empty birdbaths and dishes, fix low spots that hold rain), pet food left out overnight, and outdoor lights that pull in the insects they eat near pet areas. Barrier fencing around a pool deck or dog run helps, and during the wet breeding season a scheduled follow-up sweep keeps a fresh wave from moving in off nearby water and neighboring yards.