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Advice needed re ponds , frogs and mowing the lawn

TinyGardenGIrlTinyGardenGIrl Posts: 169
in Wildlife gardening
We are planning on making a pond for the  wildlife in  time for spring. I was just wondering , how do those of you with ponds avoid accidentally mowing frogs with the lawn mower? My dad did it once by accident when I was 17 and we were very upset. I really don't want it happening again. I also don't have much time for cutting the grass so when I do it's a rushed job. Will I need to Inspect the lawn carefully beforehand ? 

Posts

  • PosyPosy Isle of Wight.Posts: 3,601
    The main problem comes when the tiny baby frogs leave the pond. The only solution I know of is not to mow for a couple of weeks. You can't hope to see them all in the grass.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Scariff, County Clare, IrelandPosts: 7,850
    I seem to remember @Dovefromabove saying her OH swishes around the grass with a bamboo cane just before they mow, so the frogs can jump out of the way.
    "The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life."  Rabindranath Tagore
  • Crazyfroglady...and.now.newts.Crazyfroglady...and.now.newts. Posts: 80
    We get a lot of baby froglets on our lawn, we give our neighbours a good laugh by giving the lawn a good inspection on our hands and knees before mowing. Our lawn is quite small I’m not sure how practical that would be for a large lawn. We also switch on the mower and hold it in place and the vibration makes any that we may have missed jump into view. It’s a bit time consuming but I’m rather fond of the froglets .🤣
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,172
    We leave the grass around the pond a bit longer when the froglets are small ... it gives them somewhere to hide from the blackbirds.  When we do cut the grass we do as explained above .... give the grass a good swishing with a tomato cane or  similar to alert the frogs to danger and they all head for the pond for a while.  
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • batwood14batwood14 Posts: 193
    Thanks all  - very usefull as I hope to be building a pond this year too!
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 1,948
    My friend has a couple of baking sheets which she bangs together as she walks around her lawn before mowing! Perhaps combined with swishing you might persuade most of the froglets to run for cover.
  • SkandiSkandi Northern DenmarkPosts: 1,572
    Living in a bog we got thousands of frog/toadletts and because our land was so damp they never leave, perfect place for them to live! Mowing the lawns from June to August was mass murder, couple of things that helped (but did not save all) mow slowly they will try to get out of the way if given a chance, and mow high when they feel the mower go over them they seem to try to burrow down in the grass so a high setting lets the blades pass over them. Saying all that I just made the husband mow :open_mouth:
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