No Mow May: People encouraged not to cut grass to save pollinators

Environmental activists want people to step away from their lawnmowers and hide the keys to their lawn tractors for the next month.

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The initiative “No Mow May” was started in the U.K. but has buzzed over to the U.S. in an effort to protect bees and other pollinators.

The organization Bee City USA says about 40 million acres in our county are covered by lawns. That accounts for about 2% of land, the organization says.

But while we may dread having to cut the grass every week or so, lawns pose more of a problem for wildlife — habitat is lost and pesticides that are used to keep the grass weed-free can be harmful to bees and other animals.

To help provide sanctuary for animals, environmental activists are asking people to follow the “No Mow May” trend and let their lawns grow wild.

But not everyone supports the movement.

Some areas have laws that require lawns to be kept trimmed.

Long grass can also harbor pests that can transmit illnesses, for example, ticks, NJ.com reported.

Finally, if the grass doesn’t need to be cut for a whole month, that has the potential of impacting landscaping businesses, NJ.com reported.

There are still other benefits to letting grass go wild.

According to home guru Bob Villa’s website, not mowing for a month will bring color to all the green grass by allowing dandelions and other wildflowers to grow. Bees will get a boost as they feed off what grows and pollution will decrease if you normally use traditional gas-powered lawn tools.

But even if you can’t fully forgo lawn maintenance, there is something you can do.

The Sierra Club said to check with your community leaders, whether with your homeowners’ association or local government, to find out what length is the legal maximum grass can be. By cutting it only when it gets that long, pollinators can see some benefit.

You can also set up a bee hotel to give bees shelter, Villa’s site suggested.

You can also plant a wildfire garden or grow other bee-friendly plants, Home Depot suggests in its DIY section.

Finally, when it is time to cut the grass, don’t shave it down to the lowest your mower can go. NPR suggests raising the blade height when you do cut again, or using a string trimmer, so you will not damage the blades of grass.

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