Cane Toad Tadpole Trapping Service
Stop Cane Toads at the Source
Tadpoles are the most vulnerable stage in the cane toad lifecycle. Professional trapping during the tadpole window removes thousands before a single adult toad emerges. But timing is everything, so contact us as soon as you spot them.
"Toads Are Gone, Pets Live On."
Tadpoles spotted? Contact us today. The trapping window closes once they metamorphose, and they can develop in as little as 4 weeks in warm weather.
The Cane Toad Breeding Lifecycle
Why timing your response matters
Eggs (24 hours to around 1 week)
A single female cane toad can lay up to 35,000 eggs at a time. The eggs are laid in long gelatinous strings in shallow, still water and hatch quickly, within as little as 24 hours in warm water, or up to about a week when water temperatures are cooler.
What you can do at this stage: Egg strings can be physically removed from the water relatively easily if you act fast. They look like long dark strings of jelly. Use gloves and dispose of them away from water. The window is short, so do not wait.
Tadpoles (3 to 20 weeks)
Once hatched, tadpoles enter a variable development window. According to Sunshine Coast Council, cane toad tadpoles remain in tadpole form for approximately 3 to 20 weeks before metamorphosing. Water temperature is the primary driver: warm Queensland water can push that down to around 4 weeks under typical conditions, while cooler or shaded water extends the window considerably.
This is the key intervention window. Tadpoles are highly concentrated in the water, they are not yet toxic to touch, and pheromone trapping is highly effective at capturing large numbers in a single session.
What you can do at this stage: Deploy a Watergum Cane Toad Tadpole Trap with a pheromone lure, or book our professional trapping service. This is the window we work in, and the window that closes once metamorphosis begins.
Source: Sunshine Coast Council cane toad lifecycle information
Toadlets and Adults (trapping window closed)
Once tadpoles metamorphose into toadlets, they leave the water and begin dispersing across your property. At this stage, tadpole trapping is no longer an option. Toadlets are tiny and fast-moving, requiring a different removal approach entirely.
Already seeing tiny baby toads? You need our baby cane toad removal service, which uses specialised wet-vac equipment to collect toadlets quickly before they spread.
The maths on why tadpole trapping matters
One female cane toad can lay up to 35,000 eggs per clutch, and breed multiple times per season. A single successful trap session can remove hundreds to thousands of tadpoles before a single adult emerges. No other intervention in the lifecycle offers that kind of leverage.
The Watergum Cane Toad Tadpole Trap
World-first pheromone lure technology, developed in Queensland
We use the Watergum Cane Toad Tadpole Trap, a purpose-built trap developed by Watergum, a Queensland-based environmental organisation with more than 25 years of experience in cane toad management. The trap uses a pheromone lure technology developed through research at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
The pheromone lure isolates and replicates a natural chemical cue that cane toad tadpoles follow. When the lure is placed inside the submerged trap, it creates a scent plume in the water that draws tadpoles toward and into the trap.
Critically, the pheromone is selective for cane toad tadpoles. Native frog tadpoles are not attracted to it, which means the trap can be used safely without harming protected native species.
Pheromone lure, not chemicals
The lure is made from all-natural pheromone. No synthetic chemicals, no impact on water quality. Safe for use in swimming pools, garden ponds and livestock dams.
Native-frog safe
The pheromone does not attract native frog tadpoles. You can trap with confidence in mixed waterbodies without endangering protected species.
Thousands captured per session
A single trap set near an active tadpole swarm can capture thousands of tadpoles in 4 to 8 hours. Multiple traps and repeat visits significantly increase removal numbers.
Reusable and locally manufactured
The trap is made in South East Queensland for Australian conditions. It is robust, reusable, and designed to sit on the waterbody floor in around 15 cm of water.
How trapping works in practice
Assess and position
We locate the swarm and place the trap in shallow water, close to where tadpole activity is concentrated.
Load the lure
The pheromone lure is placed inside the trap. It begins emitting its attractant cue into the water immediately.
Leave to work
The trap is left for 4 to 8 hours, or overnight where appropriate. Tadpoles follow the scent into the trap and are held safely inside.
Remove and dispose
Captured tadpoles are removed and humanely euthanised, in line with best-practice guidelines for cane toad management.
Our Tadpole Trapping Service
Professional deployment, training and removal across South East Queensland and Northern NSW
Tadpole trapping requires you to be at the water while tadpoles are still in it, to check the trap regularly, and to handle and dispose of captured tadpoles correctly. We know that is not always practical. Maybe you spotted the swarm but you are at work, travelling, or simply not sure whether what you are looking at is a cane toad or a native frog. That is what we are here for.
Full Setup and Removal
For property owners who want it handled from start to finish
Pricing provided at your consultation
Exact quote provided at booking. Covers both visits: setup and return removal.
Deploy and Train
For property owners who are happy to manage daily checking themselves
Lower cost than the full service
Exact quote at booking. Best suited to hands-on owners with time to check the trap daily.
Book while tadpoles are still in the water
The professional service is only effective during the tadpole stage. Once metamorphosis begins and toadlets leave the water, tadpole trapping is no longer an option. In warm Queensland conditions, the tadpole window can close in around 4 weeks.
Contact us the day you spot tadpoles. We will tell you whether what you are seeing is likely to be cane toads and how quickly you need to act.
How to Identify Cane Toad Tadpoles
Key features, and why correct identification matters before you act
Correct identification is important before you remove anything from a waterbody. Native frog tadpoles are protected and must not be disturbed or harmed. If you are not confident, contact us and we will confirm identification before any trapping begins.
The Watergum trap's pheromone lure adds an extra layer of safety: it is selective for cane toad tadpoles and will not draw in native frog tadpoles, so even in a mixed waterbody you have protection against accidental capture.
Identifying features
- Colour Jet black to very dark brown in daylight. Note: colour is not reliable at night, as they lose their dark pigment in the dark.
- Tail A clear, transparent tail fin (frill) is a useful identifying feature when viewed in good light.
- Behaviour Often found basking in dense groups in warm, shallow water during daylight. Note: native tadpoles also group when confined, so grouping alone is not confirmation.
- Location Warm, still, shallow water. Ponds, dams, garden water features, drainage areas. Rarely in fast-moving water.
Where we find them on your property
Want to Trap Your Own?
We stock the Watergum Cane Toad Tadpole Trap and Lure Package in our online shop. It is the same trap we use on every job: one purpose-built trap with a packet of five pheromone lures, each lasting around 24 hours in water and reusable 3 to 4 times.
If you are confident in your identification and able to check the trap daily, this is a practical option for managing an active tadpole population on your own property. The same rules apply: correct identification is essential, and native frog tadpoles must not be harmed.
Buy the Trap and Lure PackageWhat's in the package
- 1 x Watergum Cane Toad Tadpole Trap (315 x 320 x 290 mm, locally manufactured and reusable)
- 1 x Packet of Cane Toad Tadpole Lures (5 individual lures, each lasting 24 hours in water, reusable 3 to 4 times)
- Place in about 15 cm of water, check after 4 to 8 hours
Free shipping on qualifying orders
Common Questions
About tadpole trapping, the life cycle, and our service
How long do cane toad tadpoles take to become toads?
How quickly do cane toad eggs hatch?
When should I call you about tadpoles?
Can I remove cane toad tadpoles myself?
Do the tadpoles hurt pets?
What happens if I miss the tadpole window?
Seen Tadpoles in Your Pond or Dam?
Contact us now. The window to trap them is open while they are still in the water, and it can close in as little as four weeks in warm conditions. Do not wait for the problem to walk onto your lawn.