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For the past 4 weeks or so we have been driven crazy by what sounds like an electronic beeping in our back garden but when we go out to investigate the noise stops - if we stand very still for a couple of minutes the noise may start again. We hear the noise from mid afternoon to late at night (200AM)

We think we have narrowed it down to beneath our decking and a quick google would suggest a MidWife Toad.

Has anyone got any experience of this type of problem and advice. Should I tear my decking apart and throw in the cat to chase out the thing. Should I be trying to capture it and release elsewhere? Should I leave alone and it will wander off in time ?

Or - could it be something else ? The noise sounds most like the battery on your fire alarm when it needs changing but is responsive to movement so definitely not some long abandoned garden toy.

Thoughts/condolences most welcome as we really aren't sure what to do!!

Thanks

BB22

It sounds a bit like a cicada...we had those in Kenya and you find them in the Med too - they can be really blinking loud and are tiny... No answer except for don't let them in the house!!

Do you have a pond? Unlikely to be a toad if not. From what I can tell the midwife toad is only found in Bedfordshire, Devon and Yorkshire - do you live there? It isn't a native toad. It does apparently sound like a smoke alarm battery though. If it is a toad it would be a dreadful shame to try and kill it. We have a common toad which lives by our pond and comes out at night for a dip - if we are out having a drink on the patio we hear it plop in.

Is it just during the hot weather? Crickets?

Or an owl perhaps - barn owls shriek and a long-eared owl makes a noise that might sound a bit 'electronic'. That wouldn't be under the decking though, unless there was a ready supply of furry food under there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m38dIuZGzys" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow! That's so cool. I can see why it might drive you crazy though!

Wow that youtube video is spot on & yes it is infuriating! Thankfully it is a dull, wet evening tonight so we are spared the torture!

I would not like to kill it, just move it on, back to Bedfordshire if that is where it belongs!!

Taking time to read the blurb under the YouTube link - i see a lady in High Wycombe was mentioning one in her garden - guess where we are - Yes High Wycombe - I think the decking will be coming up at the weekend.

The little blighter decided to "sing" about 2200 last night so its still there!!

There are good reasons not to have decking if you are interested in the environment, so if you are taking it up anyway to liberate your toad friend, maybe read these before putting it back. There are lots of things you can do to make it more wildlife friendly, although in your case it seems you have already achieved that


http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildli ... y-bit.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mo ... ns.html#cr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Took the decking apart last weekend and then sent two 13 year old boys out with torches to try and track down the noise. Low and behold we found a beautiful specimen. It was a midwife toad sitting there proud as punch with the eggs strewn across his back legs.

I took a lovely picture of him which didn't appeal to many people as he is a pretty warty thing. It all seems to have been quiet for a few days. I think he has hopped off to find some water for the eggs to hatch in. I just hope they don't all find their way back to our garden next year.

Have just found out that acquaintances the other side of town are also experiencing this problem so I would suggest they are no longer confined to Bedfordshire!! Watch out Bucks.

Ds1 is so jealous, we have a pond with froglets but he'd love a toad. He is crazy about reptiles and amphibians

MamaBear wrote:Ds1 is so jealous, we have a pond with froglets but he'd love a toad. He is crazy about reptiles and amphibians

Perhaps you could adopt BlueBerry's toad? I think she would be quite happy to see him go.