No Mow May has become a pop bee conservation movement , but it has several drawback .
No Mow May has surged in popularity , despite its drawback — partly because of its unsubdivided conception . You just quit mowing your lawn in May to help oneself provide bees and other early - season pollinators with dandelions , violets , and other flowering plants that provide nectar or pollen ( manicure lawn typically provide little food for bees ) .
The No Mow May Concept
One in four aboriginal bee mintage in North America is at risk of extinction , partly because of habitat loss . Part of the appeal of Now Mow May is the individual payoff . By participating , you may even aid support federally peril specie , such as the queen rusty patched bumble bee , which emerges in May and necessitate the kind of bloom resources that your lawn can provide .
Potential Drawbacks
The motility has take off on social media and spread to include park and other urban green spaces . While it ’s hard to contend against the goal of supporting pollinators , the motility ’s methods have come under close scrutiny .
Researchers , for model , have pointed out that overgrown lawns may not be helpful to pollinators . When you do n’t mow , you get a dense , grandiloquent lawn that can make it harder for bees to hit any low flower . Alternatives to No Mow May include sum morenative plantsto your yard and bee - well-disposed flowering lawn with attractiveness such as nectar - rich bloodless clover and wild strawberries , which render pollen and ambrosia .
We spill the beans to experts on what you should know about No Mow May .
Credit: Courtesy of Anne Readel
Downsides of No Mow May
Despite No Mow May ’s popularity , many pollinator experts and scientists are concerned that the crusade is oversimplifying things . “ No Mow May is a nice hashtag and a dandy deed , but the reality of it is way more complicated than that , ” says Matthew Shepherd , director of outreach and educational activity at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation .
Over the last few years , the social movement has receive several critique . Specifically , it only provides food for bee for a single calendar month andstresses your lawn by letting grass produce uncheckedfor an integral month . Also , not everyone value dandelions and unkempt lawns . to boot , the original research study that supported the movement was pull back . All these factors have contributed to mental confusion about whether participate in No Mow May is still good .
Despite these concerns , No Mow May still has value , according to experts . “ I ’m a gravid worshipper that the pursuit of perfection should not be the enemy of good , ” read Clay Bolt , manager of pollinator conservation at the World Wildlife Fund - US . Shepherd also notes that the Xerces Society continues to promote No Mow May as part of its Bee City USA first step .
Credit: Courtesy of Anne Readel
Matthew Shepherd
No Mow May is a nice hashtag and a expectant championship , but the reality of it is way more complicated than that .
Upsides of No Mow May
Here are three reasonableness why expert believe that No Mow May is still worth supporting .
1. Participation is free and easy.
While hayfield and prairies provide ideal habitats for bees , it would take a significant amount of clock time and money to establish something similar in a one thousand . No Mow May is an go-ahead that people can take part in , regardless of their finance or amount of free time , says Bolt . “ The entry fee is nothing . ”
2. Lawn flowers do provide some food for bees.
Lawns hold tremendous potency to aid bees , with over 40 million landed estate of them across the United States , say Shepherd . “ We might think of home ground going and imagine bulldozers and chainsaws , but mowers and leaf blower are almost as bad , ” he explains . However , lawn do n’t have to be ecological deserts .
What the Research Shows
While the enquiry study on No Mow May was resile , Shepherd notes that several other studies have underscored the value of lawn flowers in supporting a in high spirits variety of bee . In Massachusetts , 63 plant species and 111 bee species were found in herbicide - free lawns , accounting for more than a after part of the bee species found in the state . In Minnesota , 56 bee species were collected off white trefoil grow in metropolis parking area . In Kentucky , 37 species of bee were find out feeding on dandelions and blank trefoil raise in lawns .
What About Dandelions?
Whiledandelions often get a bad rap , Bolt notes that “ dandelion are better than grass and do provide some intellectual nourishment for pollinator . ” However , both Bolt and Shepherd agree that relying solely on dandelions and otherlawn weedsto feed bee for a undivided month is n’t enough . “ The termination of conservation should n’t be produce dandelions , ” says Shepherd .
3. No Mow May sparks conversations about bee conservation.
Both Shepherd and Bolt regard No Mow May as an excellent tool for introducing people to bee conservation and start out conversations on how to transmute our lawns into home ground that are more welcoming to wildlife . “ The discussions that start between neighbors within community about what we can do to make these areas better for bee is , for us , the real welfare of No Mow May , ” explains Shepherd .
Firsthand Observations
Bolt experienced this impact at first hand in Livingston , Montana , where he help lead up the city ’s participation in No Mow May in 2021 . As interest in the program grew over the following year , the metropolis expanded its bee conservation feat .
or else of focusing only on No Mow May , it now more broadly encourages mass toplant more aboriginal wild flower , mop less frequently , and reduce pesticide use . People were enthusiastic about No Mow May , aver Bolt , and it got more people to reckon about other direction to serve native bees .
Tips for Participating in No Mow May
If you settle to participate in No Mow May this class , here are some tip for making it a positive experience for both you and your neighbors .
Educate your neighbors.
After a few weeks of not mop , your neighbors will wonder about the farseeing grass . TheXerces Societyoffers free , print - at - home signs including a kids ' version that children can color . This help oneself the whole family get postulate in helping bee . Once your neighbor understand why you ’re get your lawn get " scraggy , " they may even want to take part in No Mow May themselves .
Check your local rules.
Many city and homeowner associations have regulations that throttle grass summit to 8 or 10 in . If such formula are apply in your domain , you might get fined if your lawn gets too tall . However , communities that adopt No Mow May will often suspend enforcement of their grass acme ordinance for participants .
Cut back your lawn gradually.
lawn can grow fairly shaggy after a month of not mowing . When it’sfinally time to mow , draw a bead on to concentrate the height of your grass bit by bit . The best practice is to only prune off a third of the distance of your grass each clip you mow . Depending on your forage ’s height , it could take a few weekends with the mower to get your lawn back to the length you require to maintain .
Consider alternative timing.
While No Mow May is a catchy phrase , depending on your location , “ No Mow March ” or “ No Mow April ” might make more sense . The idea is the same : Bees emerging in spring need food . So , whatever your clime , forbear from mowing whenlawn flowersstart blooming .
No Mow May Alternatives
If you wish the idea of No Mow May , but do n’t require such tall sess , you have several alternatives that all halt from the same concept : plainly mow less .
To participate in Low Mow May , mow your lawn twice in May or else of weekly . This modified agenda admit lawn flowers to bloom while keeping locoweed at a more manageable height . Low Mow May is a great choice for those in communities with pot height restrictions and where No Mow May has not been adopted .
Slow Mow Summer
Another excellent option is “ Slow Mow Summer . ” This initiative encourages residents to increase their mowing height and decrease their mowing relative frequency throughout the summer to earmark lawn flowers to bloom . This approach also furnish food for bee all season long instead of just for one calendar month .
Mowing less to facilitate bees is also plump for by inquiry . One study constitute that lawn mowed biweekly attracted more bees than those mowed weekly .
Whether you opt to enter in No Mow May , Low Mow May , or Slow Mow Summer , adopting a less intensive approach to lawn maintenance can aid lawn flowers flourish and financial support bee . If you want to delve further into bee preservation at menage , considerdelaying outpouring cleanup , installing a bee lawn or a hayfield , providing a bee hotel , or simply planting some aboriginal plants in your garden layer .
“ No Mow April , No Mow May , Low Mow Spring FAQs . ” Bee City USA .
“ Pollinators in Peril . ” Center for Biological Diversity .
“ Slow Mow May . ” Zoological Society of Milwaukee .
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“ No Mow May , No Mow April , Low Mow Spring ? ” Bee City USA .
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Wolfin , J. et al . “Floral sweetening of turfgrass lawns profit wild bees and dearest bees ( Apis mellifera).”Urban Ecosystems , vol . 26 , 2023 . doi : https://doi.org/10.1007 / s11252 - 023 - 01339 - 7
Larson , J.L. et al . “ Pollinator assemblages on dandelions and blanched clover in urban and suburban lawn . ”Journal of Insect Conservation , vol . 18 , 2014 . doi : https://doi.org/10.1007 / s10841 - 014 - 9694 - 9
Lerman , Susannah B. et al . “ To cut down or to mop less : Lawn mowing relative frequency bear on bee abundance and diversity in suburban yards . ”Biological preservation , vol . 221 , 2018 . doi : https://doi.org/10.1016 / j.biocon.2018.01.025
