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With all the recent rain, I now have lots of toads in my yard, and my grass is getting very tall. How can I mow the yard without damaging the toads?

Last Updated: March 21, 2007

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You are on the right path when you mention recent rains and the length of the grass. Ordinarily, when the afternoon sun gets hot enough, toads will seek cooler and moister places, but deep, wet grass may be the spot they prefer right now. One strategy is to wait until the hottest part of the day and then mow from the inside of the lawn to the outside. We don't know the shape of your lawn, but, in general, before starting your mower, push it to the center of the largest part of the lawn, and then start it up. Mow in a circular pattern, in ever-larger concentric circles. This may sound like extra work, but the noise of the approaching mower may "motivate" the toads to hop away from it, and in doing so, they will be going toward the edges of the lawn. This is not foolproof, and some wayward toads will undoubtedly go into the center and risk shredding. Other options include gathering the toads by hand, but there may be too many for this to be practical. Another option is to wait until the lawn dries out completely, but it is impossible to predict how long that will take and how thick the lawn may be by the time you can mow safely. Once you have the lawn mowed, keep it as short as you usually do, and mow in the afternoon. One warning: toads may even burrow, if your soil is loose enough, to escape the sun and heat, instead of migrating. These toads are coming from somewhere! Consider a barrier wall or fence to keep future toads from migrating to your yard.

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