Mowing Misery

[GCN lova]

hi WAB,

ive recently installed a wildlife pond in my garden (fish free) and some tadpoles were acidentily introduced and i know that most of them have turned into froglets and toadlets they have spread throughout the garden. though their numbers are concentrated in my wildlife area (a rockery, small wood pile and small heap of cut grass and leaves) they have dispersed with today's and yesterdays downpours and i see them on the lawn if i look carefully.

how do i now mow the grass without killing them?

thanks GCN lova

[Farplace]

Leave the grass un-mowed for a while. Make sure they have all dispersed before you cut the grass. It wont do your lawn any harm.

[GCN lova]

thanks. thats what ive been doing but cutting the longish areas with scissors (making sure no toad/froglets get the guilotine!).

[King Edward]

In the longer term, is there scope to leave some of the grass uncut to grow long, perhaps just mowing once or twice a year? Especially near the pond/wildlife area, not talking about the whole lawn.

[Za]

Get the scissors out
Za

Oops hadnt refreshed page, I see you are actually using scissors

[shotski]

Keep the grass as short as you can all the time then they will not hide in it,
if you let it grow long they will stay in the grass untill the autum and you will
have knee high grass. I have the same problem and this works for me.

Shotski

[iminei]

I understand your worry! my husband assures me that the noise and vibration of one man and his mower is enough to move anything pdq out of their path, especially lil jumping frogs! He also tells me that the zillions of frog spawn, thousands of tadpoles, hundreds of mini frogs is natures way of making sure enough frogs get through the process. Nevertheless I still walk around the lawn whacking the grass and foliage before he mows though!!!!!!!!!

[GCN lova]

i am leaving the grass around the pond long anyway which is right next to the wildlife area and will try to cut the rest of the lawn short.

[GCN lova]

the lizards i have stay around the edges of the lawn where we've left it long but now ive found a pregnant slow worm (or at least female) in my garden i just wanted to ask whether slow worms will stay on the lawn or hide under rocks or the pond (there are holes between the mud and premade butyl liner which the lizards and frog/toadlets go under) ?

[Shawit]

Young slow worms will bask in grass that is approx. 5 cm long. They are incredibly hard to spot. Despite always checking carefully first, I've still managed to kill young slow worms and very small frogs with the mower.
I lightly rake the lawn first to encourage both off it and always try to keep it as short as possible. Adult female slow worms will also bask in hedges if these are the only sunny spots available. So again, I always lightly run the rake over the hedge before cutting it and wouldn't cut it early in the day when it's the only sunny spot in my garden. I haven't scored any kills since using the rake!