CHARLOTTE, N.C. — You’ve heard of No Shave November, what about No Mow May? With more than 500 species of bees in North Carolina alone, a spin on the ‘No Mow’ movement is creating some buzz this month.
The idea behind no mowing in the month of May is to provide flowers for bees, butterflies, and moths.
City arborist Laurie Reid said a bee-friendly habitat is significant for everyone.
“About one out of three bites of food we eat is pollinated by an insect, so we need to keep our population of insects around so we can have all the good foods we like like watermelons, apples, and almonds,” Laurie Reid said.
While some people prefer manicured lawns for curb appeal, Reid said there are other ways you can support the population of spring pollinators.
“If you can concentrate on the low mow in the backyard, and letting the different flowering plants come up, that’s a great thing," Reid said. "Keep maintaining your front yard to the standard you are looking for maybe your HOA requires it, but then you’re able to have a natural area in your backyard."
Before you chop down the idea altogether, the Department of Agriculture has a “Lazy Lawn Mower” initiative where research shows mowing less affects the abundance and diversity of bees.
“I like the term 'low mow' so what that will be is to mow your grass maybe two or every three weeks instead of going the entire month but continue that throughout the spring and the entire summer because all those insects need nectar,” Reid said.
In the city of Charlotte, your grass can grow up to 12 inches before facing any possible fines.
Contact KJ Jacobs at kjacobs3@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.