University of California
Tehama County
Toad invasion no cause for alarm
When the appearance of hundreds of toads in an east Porterville garage came to the attention of the Porterville Recorder, reporter Alex Shultz turned to UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Manuel Jimenez for an explanation.
This time of year, Jimenez said, toads are on the move.
“If they stay together, they will take out all of the food source, so they have to spread out,” he said.
Though the homeowners seemed concerned, Jimenez said they were lucky.
“(Toads) eat a lot of bugs," Jimenez was quoted.
Jimenez said the rush of toads at the Porterville home will not last forever as snakes and birds will begin to snatch them up. If residents wish to reduce their numbers, the toads can be collected and released elsewhere.
Curiously, the story said the family purchased a 5-horsepower garage vacuum to help mitigate the problem.