In 1935, native beetles were wreaking havoc on Australia’s sugar cane crops in Queensland. The beetle larvae lived in the soil and chewed on sugarcane roots, stunting growth or killing the plants.

1935: Cane toads brought to Australia to control Queensland’s cane beetles. Sugar cane was brought to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788. There were repeated small-scale attempts to grow the crop ...

Cane toads were introduced into Australia in 1935 to control the pest problem that was threatening the country’s sugar cane crop. It seemed like a practical innovative solution at the time, but it ...