Here’s Why You May Be Seeing More Toads in Your Yard This Year

ST. CLOUD -- If you're seeing what appears to be more toads in your yard this year, you're not mistaken. A wet spring and sufficient rainfall this summer have allowed the creatures to breed and grow.

Misi Stine is a master naturalist who is a volunteer instructor for the Minnesota Master Naturalist program. She says if your yard or property has food and shelter, then toads are likely.

But, Stine says pools of water nearby are critical for toads and frogs to mate and lay their eggs.  The tadpoles use those pools to then grow and morph into land creatures...

And, as they transition and leave the water for the second half of their life, they become terrestrial or land animals. They will do that all at about the same time, so oftentimes when you see a bunch of little frogs or toadlets, what you're seeing is that group has transitioned to that second stage in life and they're all leaving the water and going out and looking for a place to live.

Stine says last year's drought prevented a lot of those eggs from hatching, so it's a natural rebound for the toad and frog populations this year with ample moisture.

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Some people worry that toads point to a bigger problem with their yard, but Stine says toads are harmless.  She says we should co-exist with them because they are part of the ecosystem.

Stine says you don't have to fear the creatures trying to get into your home as the weather cools either. They have other strategies for over-wintering and if they do get into your home, she says it is by accident.