Sniff'n'StopTM Frog Deterrent Testing
Cuban Treefrog
The Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) can cause power outages by short-circuiting switches on power poles -- outages that cost the power companies money, time, and resources. Cuban Treefrogs hiding in switch boxes or transformers can bridge gaps, causing short circuits and power outages that can be difficult to diagnose. We tested the effectiveness of an animal deterrent product called Sniff'n'Stop (www.sniffnstop.com) for preventing Cuban Treefrogs from using a PVC pipe as a refuge -- frogs were given a choice between a PVC pipe with deterrent and one without. This product has proven useful with a variety of other wildlife species, and we found that it is also an effective Cuban Treefrog repellent. Next, we plan to conduct more tests to find out if it can be used to keep Cuban Treefrogs out of utility equipment. The results of this study will soon be published in the journal Human-Wildlife Conflicts.
Puerto Rican Coqui Frog
Puerto Rican Coquis (Eleutherodactylus coqui) have been introduced in Hawaii and are considered invasive. Their unbearably loud breeding calls drive property values down, reduce tourist appeal, and affect residents' quality of life. The government goes to great expense to ensure that these frogs are not transported to other islands in the archipelago as hitchhikers on plants. We tested the effectiveness of a new granular formulation of Sniff'n'Stop for keeping invasive coquis from hiding in ornamental plants. The results of this study will be reported here soon.
