APPLETON (NBC 26) — As the weather is warming up and the grass is getting greener, it’s time to fire up your lawnmower.
However, you can still be kind to bees while maintaining a beautiful yard.
No Mow May has become controversial in the last few years.
Experts at Lowney’s Landscaping Centersay No Mow May can actually be harmful.
NBC 26 Today Meteorologist Lauren Larsen asked Lowney's Tree Service Lead Arborist Adam Pashouwer whether people should mow their lawns during May.
Pashouwer says, it depends.
"We can let our lawns grow a little bit longer if there are dandelions, since bees like these early weeds," Pashouwer said. "If we really care about them planting flowers and some species of native trees will bring substantially more nutrition for a longer time for our native pollinators and honey bees."
There are certain trees that pollinators like best.
At the start of Spring, if you have a maple in your yard, the bees are going to wake up and find those first.
As we get into mid-May, your flowering crab apples, not only will be beautiful, but you will find bees all over them. You get more people in a skyscraper than in a single-story building.
This is true with bees, too.
Trees growing tall can provide nutrition for hundreds of pollinators.
As you get later in the Summer, trees like the Northern catalpa or a horse chestnut will continue to provide nutrition through those late months.
This is important after the spring flowers have fallen off.
"Grass doesn’t have a flower. There are no bright colors or pollen. Part of the reason people plant it is because of that. It doesn’t mess with your allergies," Pashouwer said.
Hopefully, from learning these tips, we can see more pollinators all summer long.
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