How to build a frog hotel

The property where I live is next to a hotel parking lot in Northeast Florida. During a long era of construction of said hotel parking lot, each rain brought deep puddles that workers had to pump out for construction to resume. Exhausted engineers told me it was the lowest lot in the area. Multiple hurricanes later and I wearily believe it, but frogs nonetheless loved this era. They leapt out of our face-level mailbox and made at least one daring (and slimy!) journey into our home.

Now that the hotel is complete and the constant puddles are gone, the frog heyday is over. But, when given the opportunity to build a frog hotel for an article I leapt at the chance. I still get frogs in the area, of course, but just not as many. So why not build a hotel for frogs in much the same way that a hotel for people was built next door?

What is a frog hotel?

A frog hotel is a sort of all-in-one inclusive hangout for frogs. Ideally a frog hotel provides a cozy place for a frog to hide with nice moisture levels, overall high safety, and potentially even a snack bar.

The amphibian Marriotts are typically made by placing cleaned PVC pipes vertically in a container with water and rocks, plus maybe some local frog-friendly plants and a solar lamp to attract insects for delicious froggie snacks.

Materials and considerations

materials laying on the grass: a bucket, pipes, pebbles, a planter, a frog light — Everything you need to build a frog hotel of your own. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

As it turns out, Home Depot is the perfect place to get nearly everything you need for a frog hotel. The following is a list of recommended items for your hotel. You might have certain items already, or wish to add others based on your preferences:

The planter will be the most important part and doesn’t need to be big or deep. While most planters have a flat bottom, deck rail planters have raised parts in the middle which make it possible to arrange pre-cut PVC pipes at different heights inside without needing to do any additional cutting.

The PVC pipes chosen should be of different widths to accommodate different frog types and some should have elbows added on top for added protection and comfort.

Solar lights are optional, but encourage insects (aka frog food) to come around.

Assembling the frog hotel

Instagram-worthy frog hotels seem intimidating to build, but you can build a serviceable frog hotel in a single afternoon. There are just a few steps you’ll need to follow.

Start with water

Frogs are sensitive to chemicals in a way that humans are not. Though they have shown the ability to adapt to human-caused environmental changes, there’s no sense in forcing your local toadies to such treatment. As such, the water that goes in your frog hotel is particularly important.

If you’re lucky, rain will eventually take over for most of the additional water you’ll need for your hotel. However, you’ll need to prep your first pour. If a nearby frog-bearing stream or pond is near your property you can borrow some, of course. But if you’re using tap water, more thinking is required.

water treatment bottle — Don’t just dump tap water into your hotel. Frogs are sensitive to certain chemicals. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

Chlorine typically comes out of the water after an hour or two in the sun, but today many places also add chloramine, which takes more than sunlight to remove. For this, instead you’ll want to use a water-treating tablet or treatment for fish and reptiles that treats chloramine, available from most pet stores.

Clean everything with water

a hose spraying rocks — Give everything a thorough rinse. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

Cleaning each part requires some different techniques, none of which include chemicals. Again, chemicals are not your friend when dealing with frogs. Here’s some practical advice on how to rinse each part of your hotel clean.

PVC pipes and basin: You’ll be forgiven for thinking that PVC pipes come super clean. There’s a reason, however, that we’re advised to flush them out for several minutes before using them in our homes. After you’ve rinsed the interior of your PVC pipes and any joint pieces you’ve bought, place them out, vertically, in the sun to dry. Likewise, whatever planter or basin you’re using should also be rinsed and sun-dried. This is a good chance to make sure your basin is water-tight.

a planter sitting in grass — A deck rail planter is your best bet. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

Rocks, pebbles, etc.: If you’ve purchased these from a store, expect there to be grit, sand, and other debris in large quantities, even if you can’t see it. For this reason, we don’t advise putting them in a bucket and rinsing them in the way you might rice or beans. Instead, if possible, spread them out on your sidewalk or driveway and spend some time lightly hosing them down, also letting them dry. Remember that perfection is the enemy of good during this process.

Other parts: You may wish to quickly rinse the bottom of your solar light, if you got one, and the bottom of any plant containers.

After your parts are sun-dried, you can proceed to the next step.

Choose your hotel’s location

planter and PVC pipes on a wood bench in grassy area — Try to find a location where your frog friends already hang out. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

Rocks and water are heavy, so it’s best to start assembly with your basin in the correct spot.

Choose a location in a shady, plant-adjacent spot that’s ideally where frogs have previously been spotted. You’ll want some sunlight for your solar light to charge by, however, if you’re using one. If you place your hotel in a place where you’re already seeing frogs, however, it’ll probably be a pretty good spot for them.

PVC pipe height

It is ideal, and aesthetic, to have multiple heights of PVC pipe. At this stage you may wish to cut them or if your basin’s bottom has multiple heights, such as the one pictured above, then you can potentially skip this step and arrange them accordingly. In any event, if you decide to cut them, it is recommended to put the sharp, cut side down when you install the pipes in the next step.

Pipe assembly, adding rocks

a frog hotel made from planters and pipes — Looking good. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

Now that your hotel is in its appropriate spot, put your PVC pipes in the spot you’d like them and pour the rocks in to anchor them in place. Plop a rock or two inside to help with the anchoring.

If you bought angled joints for your PVC piping, now is the time to add them to the top of your pipes.

Adding the water

Now, pour the water in that you prepped earlier. The goal is to fill to where the water is just visible, but below the water line, so as to deter insects but establish it as a place of moisture.

Final steps

frog hotel with plants — Tah-dah! It’s time to welcome the frogs. *Image: John Alexander / Popular Science*

Now, you can add the solar night light if you chose to get one, as well as any plants or safe decorations (decorating the outside of the basin could be fun).

Then wait

Frogs won’t come instantly. On the first night creating the frog hotel pictured in this article, I heard a thwump that’s characteristic of larger frogs coming from it when I went to inspect the hotel’s progress that night. Our local frogs are more skittish during the day. It’s hard to estimate, but it could take a week or two for a frog to finally settle into your hotel. Other patterns, such as heat waves, can also reduce frog exploration. Give the area time and let frogs explore it naturally to determine if it is safe on their own time.