Can't cut my grass

[Kayleigh]

I have frogs every where and I cant cut the lawn. The grass is very long now but we have tiny frogs that have just emerged from the barrel pond. In a few weeks we will have tiny toads. How can I cut the grass without killing all the amphibians. Does anyone else have this problem? Anyone got any goats for hire.

[Deer Stalker]

Pair of scissors.

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

How can I cut the grass without killing all the amphibians. .

Haven't a clue, sorry , but if your weather has been anything like ours its too wet to cut the grass anyway

[demicav]

I don't think it would be wise to cut your lawn just yet. I would wait till all the frogs and toads have gone. In the meantime I'm sorry but I have no idea of another way around it. Welcome to the jungle .

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I have frogs every where and I cant cut the lawn. The grass is very long now but we have tiny frogs that have just emerged from the barrel pond. In a few weeks we will have tiny toads. How can I cut the grass without killing all the amphibians. Does anyone else have this problem? Anyone got any goats for hire.

Realistically if you are going to keep the grass as lawn you are going to have to cut at least fortnightly during the growing season. As a compromise you could give a section over to infrequent cutting - perhaps the area closest to your pond. You can then either try moving the froglets and toadlets by hand each time you get the mower out, or perhaps gently rake the lawn are so you herd the wee beasts into the long grass. Of course once you've got the lawn down to a short cut, it will be less attractive to the froglets, and they will be easier to see.

As the grass is already long, would it make sense to use a strimmer on the first cut ? this will slow down the rate at which you can cut (a pain for you) but that and the noise is likely to drive the amphibians away from where you are working without them getting minced.

CM

[Kymba]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I have frogs every where and I cant cut the lawn. The grass is very long now but we have tiny frogs that have just emerged from the barrel pond. In a few weeks we will have tiny toads. How can I cut the grass without killing all the amphibians. Does anyone else have this problem? Anyone got any goats for hire.

Just let it grow.. In this weather you will soon have your own wildlife Jungle

[kaitkaitkait]

I have exactly the same problem, and the only solution I can offer is to bribe a small child to go around on hands and knees, checking for tinyfrogs about ten feet in front of the mower.

(I also have put a logpile beside each pond - in the hopes that the dear things will stay close to the pond, and I cut the grass around the pond roughly with the shears. It's worth it, I think, when I've done so much to encourage wildlife! )

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, indeed, our lawn is very much like a pond at the moment - flooded for the second time this year - this is the first year it's flooded since extensive work with drainage ditches and tons of sand ... it's a wet old year!

If/when it ever dries out - I don't worry too much about froglets, just move the rotary mower slowly and they manage to get out of the way .... so far ...

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

Haven't a clue, sorry , but if your weather has been anything like ours its too wet to cut the grass anyway

[Kayleigh]

I will go in front of my hubby while he mows, if this rain ever stops that is. ( a tad bit daring but the things we do for wildlife)
The grass around the pond is staying long we don't cut that any way.

[Paul mabbott]

Least of our problems at the moment!
BBC - South Yorkshire - Weather - Floods in South Yorkshire
Have seen toads walking around, smirking ....

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Yes, indeed, our lawn is very much like a pond at the moment - flooded for the second time this year - this is the first year it's flooded since extensive work with drainage ditches and tons of sand ... it's a wet old year!

If/when it ever dries out - I don't worry too much about froglets, just move the rotary mower slowly and they manage to get out of the way .... so far ...