Wednesday, Sept. 03, 2003 at 9:59 a.m.
How to Kill Invasive Coqui Tree Frogs
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I am so happy. So glad to be alive, I feel song lyrics in my heart and art in my soul. My friend has made a bunch of funny songs and art to share here. It is going to take a while to type it all up so in the meanwhile, here is instructions on how to eradicate the Hawaiian coqui tree frog.
I found these frog control methods in my desperate search for ways to quiet the very noisy coqui tree frogs. If you search through the 49 coqui frog research links I have below you will find this, but you really have to dig down deep. So how about I save you all of that time and effort and I help you to deal with this noisy pest of a frog once and for all. We have so much to loose here on the Big Island if we don�t deal with this alien invasive species once and for all. Frog wars, bring them on.
Sydney Ross Singer LIES on his website and he should remove it from the Internet right away. Hurry up Syd, before I get REALLY mad! Did you know you can find Sydney Ross Singer, the frog guys phone number in the phone book? It is in there and you can call him your self. Call him and ask him to remove his lies from cyberspace. If you can�t sleep tonight because of what he has done to our Hawaiian home land, might as well, might as well.
I was out giving out my new kill the noisy frogs poster and talking to people yesterday. Gave them all out and had to print up more. Now the printer is out of ink. I need a frogmania patron to help me with this, yikes it can get expensive fast.
Also great news one of the designers is HOT and is making me a new page here that will rock n roll your socks off baby! I love diaryland and diary rings as you know, now my news blog will have a much better look. I can�t wait I am thrilled and excited. So on to the crucial steps. Give them a try and let me know how the frogwars are going for you cause I care. Love from Joy
How to kill coqui
by Anonymous on May 10, 2003 - 01:32 AM
Warning- Several of these methods may injure or kill you. Take very good care. You will be using chemicals that are dangerous in any of these steps.
Use old clothes, and keep a large bucket of water nearby to wash your hands off. Check wind conditions to make sure the chemicals do not blow on to you or into open windows of your home.
Note: Also the direct application of these chemicals can ruin the paint on your home or damage the paint on a car.
I recommend trying these steps in order. The farther you go down the list the more danger to you and the environment.
1. Locate you a farm chemical supply company like BEI. You can purchase a 50 lb bag of hydrated lime for about $15. Spread the powdered lime around the base of all the shrubs Wait two days to see if you got them. The problem is they have to come down in the morning. Wear a dusk mask.
2. The next step is good if they are staying up in the trees. Take the hydrated lime and mix it with water. Spray the frogs when they are out. Try and spray directly on them. Avoid contact with liquid and wash hands in clean water.
3. Try a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water. Many of your plants will suffer from this solution, however, leaves come back and you want to sleep don't you?
Then there are these thoughts from a well educated reader:
Re: Coqui Frogs Invade Hawaii
by Anonymous on Oct 23, 2002 - 11:01 AM
I understand your concern for the coqui in Hawaii. However, it is my understanding that since Hawaii has native species of their own the coqui contributes to the decline of endemic birds and insects. I spoke with some of the people in charge of protecting Hawaii's natural environment. Thus I realized that a lot of the endemic species there cannot defend themselves against introduced species due to many years of living in an environment where they didn't have to defend themselves. As much as Puerto Rico cares for their coqui, imagine how much Hawaii cares for their many endangered fauna and flora. Knowledge is power. Please know that the main issue is to protect Hawaii's own. If the coqui was not harming Hawaii as much as they are, I'm sure that this wouldn't be as big of a concern as it is now.
All of this can be found under the frog links below, �Raging Debate add your comments here�.
Thanks for dealing with the noisy invader coqui frog if you found us through Google or another search engine please take a moment to leave an email and let us know how the frog fight is going for you. Kill the noisy frog or everything in Hawaii is pau already!
Strength to you and knowledge in our search for a return to quiet nights in our beloved Ania. Love from Joy and Growpeace.
back or forth
Thanks for coming by. Please bookmark, so you can come back and read our Hawaiian coqui tree frog updates. More research links, articles, poetry and funny songs from Kill the Noisy Frogs Hawaii. Aloha, Joy
"Lurking in the shadows are the noisy alien species, waiting to ruin your vacation. The hideous sounds of night are calling, it's twillight time for Hawaii."
Frog Research Links
NEW are ALL CAPS
Hawaiian Coqui Frog Home Page
h.e.a.r.
Word of the day
Coqui: Small frog BIG sound.
"On October 1, 2001, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had approved the use of caffeine to fight the infestation of coqui frogs in Hawaii. Coqui frogs are not native to Hawaii and have no natural enemies on the Islands. The frogs are considered pests because they compete for food with Hawaii's native bird population. The loud mating call of the coqui frog does not help its reputation: according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the call of the frog sounds like a lawn mower, table saw, or helicopter."
Joy's note: Because of Sydney Ross Singer and his letters and articles they were not allowed to use the caffeine and today it sits in a warehouse. That's right, $25,000 worth of caffeine that could have saved us from this frog plauge, denied use. That caffeine is sitting there with the ancestors watching and wondering how we have allowed this to happen to this sacred land. Will our beloved Hawaiian island be infested for all eternity because of one misguided man?
Sydney Ross Singer, I challenge you to write a retraction in the Hawaii Island Journal newspaper. You need to refute your wrong headed statements and remove your pro frog website from cyberspace. Please listen Sydney, we need you to help us fight this pest, not try to convince people that the frog is our friend. The invasion by these alien frogs is the worst disaster these islands have ever endured. Look through the research links to educate yourself. Aloha.
"The fact that they undergo direct development enables the eggs and larvae enable them to be transported under a wide variety of conditions, as long as sufficient moisture is available, or the adult male is transported with the eggs.� Transport of lone eggs may not be successful in some regions since they must be protected from desiccation throughout development by the adult male.� This may not be the case in Hawaii, which receives more rainfall than just about anywhere on earth."
"In Puerto Rico all coqu�es are called coqu� even though not all sing ''co-qu�''. Only two of the species the ''Coqu� Com�n'' and the ''Coqu� de la Monta�a or Coqu� Puertorrique�o'' actually scream ''co-qu�''.Puerto Rican coqu�es have relatives all over Latin America. The coqu� genre is found in all the Caribbean Islands, and in Central and South America. But again, the only ones that make the sound ''co-qu�'' are Puerto Rican.
The scientific name for the coqu� is Eleu-thero-dactylus, characterized because they have no webbed toes. There are 16 different species in Puerto Rico and all of them have padded discs at the end of their toes which helps them climb. Coqu�es are classified as amphibians - a grouping for cold blooded vertebrates that includes frogs, toads, or newts -that are able to live in both water and land.
Contrary to frogs, the coqu�es do not go through a tadpole stage and break out of their egg - a small replica of their parents. Some coqu�es are terrestrial some are arboreal.
"The coqui frog, however, is distinguished by the loud, continuous chirping of the male. Beginning at dusk and continuing until dawn, male coqui frogs move into the trees and call �ko-kee� over and over to attract females. The noise from a group of frogs can exceed 90 decibels, rivaling the sound of a lawnmower or chainsaw." The male frog is responsible for protecting the egg clutch laid by the female. The eggs are less than a quarter inch in diameter with about 2 to 3 dozen eggs per clutch. During the early stages of development, the eggs are milky white, but they become translucent to transparent just before hatching. Juvenile frogs hatch after 2 or 3 weeks. Unlike most frogs, which begin their life cycle as tadpoles, Caribbean tree frogs hatch into fully developed froglets."
"More than a noisy nuisance, coqui are eyed as threat to island fauna. Absent natural predators here, they are likely to wipe out many native species of insects and other small creatures in our forests. Some researchers think it's presence on the islands poses a POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL NIGHTMARE of even greater dimensions."
The nightmare is NOW. Biocontrol seems the only answer. What we are enduring with this NOISY sleep depriving monster is unbearable beyond words.
If you have ever loved Hawaii, please find a frog control method. Contact me right away it you do. I have never been more eager to talk to someone. Mahalo.
"The coqui, a Puerto Rican frog, has invaded formerly frog-free Hawaii, probably having arrived in imported nursery stock. Not only does it disturb fragile Hawaiian ecosystems, which already have many of their inhabitants on the endangered species list, but it also makes an incredible racket that presents a serious long-term threat to Hawaii's attractiveness to tourists, retirees, and locals. Each coqui emits a croak described as "a car alarm going off." There are thousands, perhaps millions, there. The responsible officials say that when they first discovered the frogs they should have eradicated them. But by the time they got the needed funding, the coqui was out of control. Peaceful Hawaiian nights are the victim."
"Coqui (Caribbean frog) (Eleutherodactylus coqui [Leptodactylidae]) The coqui is a species of frog that is not native to Hawaii; in fact, there are no native amphibians in Hawaii! Coqui are native to Caribbean islands. Coquis pose threats to the tourism industry and our quality of life. Increasing numbers of hotels, visitors, and locals have complained about the piercing noise made by male coqui frogs. At night male coqui emit a loud call (up to 90-100 decibels) that often disturbs people�s sleep. Consequently, several residents have raised concerns about loss of health and declines in property values because of the noise the frogs create. Thus far, the frog populations and the noise have not even remotely reached their potential as a nuisance. Nurseries that export plants and cut flowers may risk the rejection of shipments if the frogs are found or suspected to be present in exported materials. Coqui frogs may also move nematode eggs from the ground to elevated growing stands, endangering a nursery�s nematode-free certification."
"The common Puerto Rican coqui, Eleutherodactylus coqui, is the most common amphibian on that island, is present there in all but the driest areas, and might be the best studied member of its genus. Its name is an onomatopoeia of its disyllabic "co-KEEE" call. After nightfall, millions of individuals ascend up the tree trunks to the canopy of mesic and hydric forests to hunt for insects and to mate. At dawn, instead of climbing down the same route, they throw themselves almost en masse from the canopy and into the void, extending their legs widely to slow their descent by means of a sort of parachuting, and landing with a wet, slapping noise on the leaves of the forest's undergrowth. E. coqui has two sister species, E. portoricensis in Puerto Rico, and E. schwartzi in the Virgin Islands. Both emit a similar call to that of E. coqui. "
"They are members of the mostly Neotropical family Leptodactylidae. Like anoles, they exploit a wide variety of structural niches, from the ground to the crowns of emergent trees in rain forests. Some specialize in cave-dwelling, others are bromediacolous (live in bromeliads). Some species inhabit holes in tree trunks, or the leaf litter of forests. Other species have adapted secondarily to a semi-aquatic life in cold mountain streams of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. None have a tadpole stage, and instead lay their eggs on land. For this they choose humid microhabitats, like spaces under rocks and rotting vegetation, the axillae of bromeliad's leaves, and even lay them exposed on the leaves of rain forest plants, as long as the atmospheric humidity is high."
" Eleuths' calls vary widely. They can be low grunts, loud barks, raspy screeches, telegraphic clicks, piercing whistles, insect-like chirps, eerie and beautifully melodious trills, as well as drawn-out, grating croaks. Antillean species range in size from the smallest amphibian in the World, the Cuban Eleutherodactylus iberia (which vies for that title with a South American frog) to the large E. zeus, also from Cuba, E. inoptatus of Hispaniola, and E. karlschmidti of Puerto Rico. Like anoles, species of Eleutherodactylus can be segregated into different ecomorphs. Unlike anoles, however, the genus has radiated unequally in each of the Greater Antilles. For example, in Jamaica, most species are terrestrial. By contrast, in Puerto Rico many have adapted to a life on trees
"With chytridiomycosis having such lethal effect elsewhere, Department of Agriculture staff thought, the fungal infection might be just the silver bullet needed to knock down Hawai`i coqui populations. Whether chytridiomycosis (pronounced kit-RID-ee-oh-my-KO-sus) can be used as a tool against the coqui is not certain at this point. In Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, and the continental United States, the disease has contributed to mass die-offs of frogs and has even resulted in the extinctions of the last known populations of two Australian frogs, Yet not all species of amphibians are vulnerable to infection by the fungus. One of the most notorious of Australia's amphibian invaders - the cane toad (introduced to Australia from Hawai`i) - has not been slowed at all by the disease in its march across the continent. Whether the coqui has similar resistance is something to be determined in lab tests"
"But what actually scares me the most about the frogs being here," Mautz says," is that they'll be food for other invading animals. . . . If we have this huge food base of frogs, it will be a paradise found for invading snakes."
"If you or your neighbor has couqi frogs, call the Department of Agriculture today
(in Hilo 974-4140).
"The greatest threat to the economy and environment of the state is from harmful invasive species like the coqui."
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Special Spanish Section
Los Coqu�es de Puerto Rico
Los coqu�es est�n representados en Puerto Rico por el g�nero Eleutherodactylus (dedos libres) caracterizados por no tener membranas natatorias. Hay 16 diferentes especies; sin embargo, solamente hay dos especies que producen el sonido "co-qu�". Todos los coqu�es tienen discos o cojinetes en las puntas de los dedos de pies y manos. E. cooki Se le conoce como el guaj�n o "demonio de Puerto Rico". De este coqu� se cuentan infinidad de historietas. Vive en las grutas y grietas entre pe�ones en el sureste de la isla.