Hedgehogs threatened by robot mowers, German activists warn – DW – 09/07/2024
www.dw.com
Robot mowers damage biodiversity and harm many creatures, including hedgehogs, according to German conservationists. Some of them are calling for a ban on nighttime mowing.
    • Rexelpitlum@discuss.tchncs.de
      2·
      2 months ago

      They don’t roll themselves up into a compact ball and lay still when feeling threatened.

      Hedgehogs do that.

      I have already several times kicked hedgehogs across the lawn in the dark because of this behaviour (involuntarily of course)

  • jagermo@feddit.org
    5·
    2 months ago

    Always have been. Let them mow during the day and keep some distances to hedges and its fine

  • delirious_owl@discuss.online
    3·
    2 months ago

    Shit I thought they spun a nylon wire. These things have a metal blade?

    What do they do when a baby is laying in the grass in its path?

    • Lucy :3@feddit.org
      3·
      2 months ago

      A baby is too large for a robot mower to get on top of. And they have bump sensors. I guess it’s only an issues with hedgehogs trying to literally lay low, somehow getting under it.

  • 𝚝𝚛𝚔@aussie.zoneEnglish
    2·
    2 months ago

    I’m actually surprised the robot mowers dont just bump off them to be honest, my Husqvarna 450X is barely an inch off the ground and just bumps in to anything higher than that then spins around and goes in another direction

  • delirious_owl@discuss.online
    1·
    2 months ago

    Because robot mowers are relatively quiet, they are the only type of lawn mower to be allowed to operate at night or on Sundays in Germany. Their use has greatly increased over the past few years.

    Its amazing to me how Christian the laws are in Germany still

    • hostops@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      2 months ago

      Having a collective day for rest? I find it very worker friendly. I find it fascinating we are able to agree we rest on the same day and we do not bother each other with noise.

      • delirious_owl@discuss.online
        3·
        2 months ago

        We don’t agree. My people rest on Saturday.

        This law means I can’t ever fucking do construction on my house over the weekend. It’s a problem.

      • Hannes@feddit.org
        3·
        2 months ago

        *unless you’re working for public infrastructure, service industry, cultural industry, energy production, some parts of transportation or some parts of manufacturing where you can’t shut down a plant for a single day.

        There are so many exceptions to that law I’m really wondering how much difference it would really make it supermarkets and regular shift works would also continue on the weekends - just with the standard 5 days workweek still applying and having to pay a bit bonus for working on Sundays, the same way the other jobs are also getting paid more for Sunday work