“Weeds are just flowers in the wrong spot.”
I had been speaking with Patty Salva, a resident of Durham Township, when she uttered these words that seemed to encapsulate “No Mow May,” a practice of abstaining from mowing lawns for the month of May. The theory is that holding off on mowing it gives bees and other pollinators a better ecosystem to forage, enabling flowers to bloom, feeding hungry, just-out-of-the-nest bees. The new flowers provide pollen and nectar to give the bees a healthy start. By cutting grass early we create food deserts, and severely limit the bees’ chances for survival.
The practice of “No Mow May” began in the United Kingdom, with an organization called Plantlife, in 2019. Its mission is to “secure a world rich in wild plants and fungi.” In addition, Plantlife says that protecting them will lead to a “world full of colour, beauty and life.” And that same mission has caught on in the U.S.
In 2020, several residents of Appleton, Wis. convinced their city council that a suspension of its weed ordinance for the month of May would pay dividends for the bees. Hundreds of property owners participated in “No Mow May” that year and it was considered a great success. The Appleton Bee City committee spread the word like honey to neighboring communities, and by 2021 the program was reaching all over the state with other municipalities joining in. By 2022 the news of the success of the plan began to spread all over the country, and new local organizations began to join in.
Plantlife found that “simple changes in mowing can result in enough nectar for ten times more bees and other pollinators.” In its study, over 200 species of flowering, nectar producing plants were found.
Plantlife enumerated some benefits for not cutting your lawn in May:
• Dandelions will pop up, which provide important nectar for pollinators. And just eight dandelion flowers produce enough nectar sugar to meet an adult bumblebee’s baseline energy needs.
• People who choose not to mow are rewarded with rare plants, including wild strawberry, wild garlic, adder’s tongue saxifrage.
• In 2021, 250 wild plant species were recorded by gardeners who took part in “No Mow May.”
• Large amounts of nectar are provided for insects.
The benefits to mowing less — perhaps every two weeks — are extensive and not only affect the bees’ environment but have a telling tale on everyone’s pocketbook.
“Waiting to mow saves me a lot of money,” Patty Salva said, “besides the environmental impact it has on the habitat.” She said she hasn’t seen a downturn in the number of bees in her area, but is aware of the issue of a declining population.
Analyses of studies from Europe and North America found that reducing the frequency of mowing lawns resulted in an upturn in the number of butterflies and bees. Another study showed that limiting the number of times a lawn was cut also resulted in fewer pests. And then there is the cost savings for the homeowner, and municipal park managers with the cost of gasoline.
Anyone can participate in “No Mow May.” There are no rules or dues for the organization. The best way to get started is to review your local ordinances regarding the allowable height of grass, and to find out how strictly they are observed.
Municipal offices in Solebury and Plumstead townships were contacted and were glad to offer guidance. Solebury has no ordinance for the length of grass at a residence and Plumstead had an 8-inch length of grass cutoff that was allowable. BeeCityUSA.org, the organization that has helped promote the “No Mow May” movement, has a few tips to keep your skeptical neighbors happy while you are participating. Maintain a mowed buffer, making the plants look more natural and intended. Tidy up your yard, and put up a habitat sign to tell your neighbors what you are up to, and maybe get a few more advocates.
Mowing just a little less, say every other week, can have an enormous impact on our bee neighbor’s survival. It will help create a viable environment that will promote a diverse wildlife, spark life into all of the nature surrounding us, and could even save us all a little money.
Stephen Brady lives in Doylestown.
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