No Mow May Leaves Cheeseburgers for the Bees
If that title did not pique your interest, I am unsure what will!
As spring has settled in and we approach summer shortly, many uncover and break out the mowers and other lawn equipment like clockwork. Although many have moved to landscapes that include some portion of Xeriscaping, also known as dry scaping, there is often some grass area on the property. Some even call those dry areas of grass fields of weeds. If there is any lawn maintenance that you need to do this season, won’t you consider taking an extra month off and allowing the bees to thrive and eat junk food for an additional month? Those tiny flowers that many consider weeds are actually easy food for bees. No Mow May has been a movement on behalf of the bees and bee enthusiasts everywhere. Allowing flowering weeds to grow a little bit more this month means the bees get extra treats, and it is terrific for the pollination season and for keeping their queens happy.
No Mow May as a Homeowner’s Initiative
Unless the homeowner’s association has regulations on how long your lawn can be (yes, this is a thing in many suburban development communities), take the month off and tell people you are only doing your part to help bees everywhere.
Some homeowner’s associations may not BEE fans of this concept, but it is undoubtedly an initiative you could present to the board. It might be surprising how many people are interested in helping the bee population while having a little more time relaxing with their feet up. In addition to not mowing your lawn and enjoying some relaxing time, you delay the sweat, dirt, and grime of dragging the lawnmower out for the spring and summer months. In postponing regular weekly mowing, the weeds allowed to grow are fast food for the bees. Hence, leaving cheeseburgers for the bees by honoring No Mow May.
The early season flowers are an incredible source for bees that are often missed due to over-excited lawnmowers and landscapers. These early blooms are calorie-rich and easy to get!
Bee Community Supports No Mow May Movement
Horticulture professors support the No Mow May movement at well-known universities. These invested spokespeople think it has been exciting to see many getting involved in giving bees an easy meal early in the spring. After all, bees pollinating gives us food to eat, so we don’t have much to celebrate without them! Bee enthusiasts and beekeepers believe this acknowledgment followed by action is a win for the bee community. Recognizing the value bees bring to humans and the ecosystem is essential to a more significant movement to treat bees with respect and care instead of treating them as pests.
Too often, people try to take down a healthy hive on their own if it is a nuisance on the property. The problem with the approach is that whacking down an active hive will anger the bees, causing them to protect the hive, and here come the stingers! Devastatingly, the bees often die when a hive is not moved by someone with experience, which is a terrible loss. Qualified and experienced bee technicians know when and how to safely remove an active hive without disrupting the queen and allowing safe relocation of the hive. There are experienced beekeepers all over the nation who would welcome a new, healthy hive to add to their bee sanctuary. So, instead of just getting rid of the hive, have it moved by someone that knows what they are doing and can salvage the hive and its residents. Professional bee companies, like DTek, also understand the urgency when someone calls to have a hive removed, so they are prepared to act fast and get to the site quickly.
A Win-Win Scenario
It is safe to say that waiting four more weeks to break out the lawn equipment is a win for those who do their own yard work. The other side of the win-win is the bees get some early flower blooms that provide an excellent source of high calories that help them build up strength for the upcoming season. Simply knowing the short wait can benefit one of the essential insects on the planet seems like reason enough to try.
Most importantly, awareness is growing on how we can help bees since they do so much for us. The bee honey, beeswax, and pollination alone provide significantly more benefits for humans than we could ever do for them. So, it seems kind to allow them to indulge once a year on junk food. The measures to help bees are not enormous, and No Mow May offers a nice break as we sit back and wait until June to mow those lawns. It can be a win-win.