A Visit from Osteopilus Septentrionalis

I awoke to the sound of tapping on my window screen the other night. At first, I thought our nocturnal cat was leaning against my window. I turned on the lamp and looked out the window. The shock of a huge frog jumping up and down inside the screen made me scream. My husband woke up and I told him he had to get this frog out of here or it would end up in bed with us. It jumped from the window sill to the floor and kept jumping about a foot and a half high alongside the wall. So, he got a rag, caught the frog and put him outside. Then, I realized it was one of those Cuban tree frogs and he should have killed it. They’re not indigenous to our area and have been known to wipe out other frogs, lizards and insects. They’re a threat to Florida’s natural ecosystem. I remember someone saying there is a “humane” way to euthanize this frog. University of Florida’s web site says to spread sunburn ointment or benzocaine on the frog, put it in a plastic bag, freeze it, and then, dispose of it. Well, I guess we have some frog hunting to do.