Are you keen to reduce the number of Cane toads in your dam or pond? MRL are an Affiliate of UQ's Cane Toad Challenge (CTC) and we are now producing Cane toad traps for sale, and supplying UQ's baits to the public for free, as part of this citizen science project.
Place your order for a trap through our nursery (07) 54945074, and check to ensure we have bait in stock. Our traps are $30 each or 2 for $50, and the baits are supplied free. However please note that we have temporarily changed the way our nursery operates due to Covid-19 (Coronavirus) which may affect your collection of a Cane toad trap - please read our changes here: Landcare Nursery, and phone ahead prior to coming to the nursery.
Program Background For many years, the only option for reducing cane toad numbers has been hand capture of adults. However each new generation of toads replenishes and builds on the last, and the invasion throughout Qld, and into the NT, WA and now NSW continues unabated.
It has recently been discovered that cane toad tadpoles are drawn to a chemical attractant released by toad eggs. University of Queensland (UQ) isolated and identified this chemical, and developed tadpole attractant baits that called ‘BufoTabs’. A program called the Cane Toad Challenge (CTC), operated through UQ, aims at fast-tracking the roll out of cane toad tadpole trapping. To do our bit, Mooloolah River Landcare (MRL) has become an affiliate member of the CTC and can now supply baits (free of charge) to the public.
Check out UQ's Cane Toad Challenge webpage for complete details of the project and how they developed the baits: imb.uq.edu.au/canetoadchallenge