Does ‘No Mow May’ actually help bees? A master gardener and professor weigh in

Richelle Gregg, a master gardener in Timberlea, N.S., describes the No Mow May movement as a 'bit controversial' as the outcome isn't always helpful to certain native bee species.

As May reaches the halfway point, many remain split on whether “No Mow May” is an effective method in aiding the native bee population.

According to a blurb from Bee City USA, a pollinator conservation organization, the movement encourages homeowners to refrain from mowing their lawns throughout the spring as there are scarce floral resources that can provide nectar and pollen making it challenging for hungry bees to find nutrients.

But Richelle Gregg, a master gardener in Timberlea, N.S., described the movement as a “bit controversial.”

“It sounds like a great idea. We can all just put our lawnmowers away and not worry about mowing our lawn for a whole entire month,” she explained, adding that the untrimmed grass at this time of year doesn’t always offer nutritional value for native pollinators.

Gregg said that because lawns are grown as a monoculture, weeds tend to be what people have popping up in their yards when lawns go uncut.

“The weeds that grow (in our lawns) are dandelions, clover, and Dutch white clover, which aren’t native bee food material. So, you’re really just producing a big buffet of junk food for the bees to live off of.”

She said she isn’t talking about honeybees in particular, as her focus is on bees that are native to Canada.

“The bees we’re talking about are native bees. These are sweat bees, digger bees, mason bees … they all are pollinators, and we have to support all of them, not just the pretty butterflies.”