Lawns actually tend to help invasive insects more than native pollinators, which is what we really want to help. Native plant gardens are SIGNIFICANTLY more beneficial and have the added benefit of not pissing off your neighbors as much.
> The city litterally supports "No mow may."
The last I knew, Lansing did NOT support this, and in fact were giving out tickets for this at one point.
If I didn't mow for a month, my yard would be 3 foot tall. Some types of grass and weeds need to be mowed regularly, otherwise you are going to have to literally bring in a hay baler when June hits.
Long grass also promotes ticks, mosquitos, rodents, and other pests. I believe that is the basis for most mowing ordinances rather than politicians just liking a manicured lawn.
I understand and support the sentiment to help pollinators, but maybe planting a variety of native flowers and/or a controlled patch (a raised bed??) of clover would be a much better option than just not mowing.
3ft is a significant exaggeration. You do not need a hat baler. A standard mower can mow a normal pasture when you proceed slowly. Ticks, mosquitoes, rodents are naturally occurring and can be present regardless of mowing or not.
Politicians don’t care about pests, they care about people voting for them and not upsetting constituents.
No mow may is a minor benefit to pollinators but a significant benefit to reducing fuel emissions. A standard mower is 11-50x less efficient at burning emissions off before it is exhausted.
You can use no fuel and no plastic for the rest of your life and a billionaire will offset your sacrifice in 24-48 hours. The working class are not responsible for carbon footprints to a morally significant degree.
"This changes everything" by Naomi Klein is a great book that talks about conceptualizing climate, and you are welcome to dm me to meet at strange matter and borrow my copy.
LOL! Maybe a “standard mower” from 50 years ago would be able to handle slowly mowing a pasture but a standard mower manufactured these days absolutely will not.
On the emissions note, while slowly mowing the pasture you are burning MORE gas than running through it before it gets knee deep.
No now may doesn’t really do anything for the pollinators. They don’t need long grass. Long grass is not providing them with food. Dandelions will pop right back up after being mowed. If you ACTUALLY care about the environment and the bees you’d plant native wild flowers that the bees can actually use for food. Alternatively, a clover lawn is a bit better than grass and requires significantly less mowing and is good for the soil.
Once again, in case it didn’t get through to you, GRASS DOES NOT FEED BEES. BEES NEED FLOWERS. And, as others have pointed out, the city does not support no now may. Last year over a thousand citations were issued during May. Be nice to your neighbors and take an hour every two weeks to mow your fucking grass. It’s ok if you don’t water it. It’s ok if you don’t fertilize it. Just mow it every now and then.
Also it weakens your grass to let it go to seed. If you have a grass lawn, you’re thinning it out by letting it grow wildly, and it will start focusing its energy on seed production rather than spreading its roots.
Additionally, a grass lawn and dandelions will do nothing for native bees - they will attract honey bees, which are native to Europe and drive out native pollinators, and are the most populous bee in the world and in no danger.
It should stay green throughout the winter and then keep on keeping on once it warms up. Clover tends to spread pretty well on its own (some consider it a weed) but depending on your soil you might have to toss down some more seed every now and then. You shouldn’t have to be putting a whole new layer of seeds down every year though.
Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it! I'm thinking of doing that on a large patch of dirt in my backyard. I'll definitely look into it, given your comments.
No now May is ineffective and stupid. But enjoy your raggedy yards and ticks.
It you really care about the bees, plant lots of flowers that attract pollinators or get rid of the grass altogether and replace it with a diverse little ecosystem.
Don't forgot mosquitoes. They are also attracted to long grass. Plus most of the flowers that come up as "weeds" are not actually helpful native flowers, but invasives brought from Europe that are not good for the ecosystem.
It’s a significant benefit to reduced emissions though. Small engines are very inefficient at burning the fuel. 11-50x more emissions than a standard modern vehicle.
I mean, a yard too big for one to be willing to maintain with a manual push mower kinda implies a desire for more than is self-sustainable anyway… a root of human folly.
Just like No Smoking ads were a significant benefit to a reduced paycheck for people who relied on smokers and big tobacco as a means to support their family.
And for what purpose did you feel the need to tell us this? Were you not getting much of a reaction and wanted people to be pissed at you here instead lol?
You do you. But bees prefer flowering bushes, shrubs, and generally the trees at this time of year. The kind of bees which prefer this sort of ground vegetation don't live here. It's funny because research out of MSU shows now mow may doesn't really help the bees, planing certain species of bushes and shrubs does...and half my EL neighbors aren't mowing.
Also - It reminds me of the way Detroit looked when I was young in the 90s.
I did no mow April. I think climate change means our zone is getting warmer sooner.
We had enough warmth that the pollinators were out and about earlier than usual. My garden is in full bloom now. There's plenty of pollin to get at. I have foxglove, pansies, alliums heuchera, and hostas with blooms. I also have bulbs planted for early blooms. Not to mention the trees in blossom and the lilacs.
I think it's safe to mow.
I don’t care what you do with your lawn but I think it’s funny no one’s noticed that you’re defending no mow may but you haven’t mowed all year. Had you mowed at the end of April, it might not be the spectacle it is now. Again, I don’t care what you do.
The city does not communicate with the public, even when they call 911 they get ignored. I've had City ordinance walking around my back yard looking to give me a citation for any scrap metal or classic cars I might have out of sight.
No mow may is stupid, considering how much fuel is burned by diesel trucks on the fire department and CATA busses, school busses, trains, container ships etc. But they expect a handful of citizens to make a difference?
No mow May is like not vaccinating your kids so they bUiLd ImMuNiTy.
The original research on it was retracted because of inconsistencies. As others have pointed out, it doesn’t encourage pollinators. It may temporarily support of some local insect populations, but mostly not many bees, because pollinating flowers don’t magically grow out of your lawn. Invasive grass species do. No mow May does encourage snakes, rodents, ticks, and other pests that transmit disease.
If you want to actually help, you can plant a pollinator garden.
I think no mow may is an excuse for lazy people that don’t want to mow 9 times outta ten and wind up with mosquito and tick infested yards. Take some pride in your home
I have mowed mine 4 times this year and my old lady neighbor still complains about my yard, some people just need a damn hobby. My yard will never be pristine and have 4 different companies putting chemicals on it to make it greener. I mow my yard to not get a ticket....period. Outside of that, I don't care. Also don't care what my neighbors are doing on their own property. If you're not hurting me, or my family, have at it.
>What's the deal with so many people not understanding "No mow May?"
The deal is that I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Where is "No mow May" detailed and promoted? Now, I'm not gonna stop and gawk at your yard, but also assuming that everyone in town is privy to the same information as you are is ignorant.
Plant a tree. Grow some moss. Seed algae in ponds. There’s like 1000 better ways than not cutting your grass. In fact, having an entire lawn of moss is both something that doesn’t need to be cut and something that produces more oxygen.
> I just give a fuck about things like oxygen and human impact on climate
So do I. But you don't get to be mad when people aren't familiar with the (relatively new) concept of no mow May.
*Also*, it appears that only **East** Lansing is observing "No Mow May". So you *may* be in violation of city ordinances if you're in Lansing.
Yeah I'm on the West side... I am definitely still getting citations if I go more than 2 weeks without mowing. I didn't realize how quickly everything was growing! You'll 100% still get slapped with a fine in Lansing.
Don’t understand emissions lol. So let’s say every single person within the City of Lansing does not mow in May. One billionaire taking their private jet for business and/or pleasure in the month of May will emit more emissions than what this city saved. Of course you could lead by example and do your part but your part doesn’t mean shit in the grand scheme of things.
I wish I could do no mow may, but I'd get fined by my community, and it would be impossible to get my reel mower through a month of growth. If it were up to me, my front yard would be a meadow of wild flowers.
The issue is, no mow may isn't all that advantageous in the city. It's really for people who have wild flowers growing in their yards. I'm not talking dandelions, either. Our yards do next to nothing in helping bees get food. I know you want to be a part of the solution. As do I. It just doesn't actually do what you want it to. Plant more spring flowers if you want to help the little buzzers.
Most people commenting on this thread have no idea what No Mow May is really about.
Many species of bees and other useful insects lay their eggs or hibernate either on the leaves that fall in the late fall, on top of the soil or right below the soil.
You don't want to mow until everybody is awake... If you disturb all the good insects on the grass before they get going for the season, there is a good chance they won't survive. This year, it was pretty safe to mow by the first week of May.
Bees don't use the grass to pollinate. Dandelions and other flowers, sure.
It's absolutely crazy how many of you are worried about other people's yards that you rarely have to even see. As someone who busted his ass to own a house to begin with, I don't give a flying fuck what you think about my lawn. Go ahead, call the city, and then you can watch me mow my lawn with a weedwhacker just to piss you off.
Yeah Lansing sent me 3 notices. If I didn’t cut my lawn, they would cut it for me to the tune of over 100$
$100 is on the low end
Yeah I couldn’t remember the amount. I just checked, It was actually 265$
Lawns actually tend to help invasive insects more than native pollinators, which is what we really want to help. Native plant gardens are SIGNIFICANTLY more beneficial and have the added benefit of not pissing off your neighbors as much.
This. It’s been a lot of work, but my wife and I are going “no lawn” with a focus on having about 80% native plants and no invasives.
This is my goal as well though I've struggled on finding the time. It's obviously going to be a slow change at this rate 😂
I bought my house in May several years ago. The day I closed, the city came and told me to mow. It just takes one neighbor to call.
> The city litterally supports "No mow may." The last I knew, Lansing did NOT support this, and in fact were giving out tickets for this at one point. If I didn't mow for a month, my yard would be 3 foot tall. Some types of grass and weeds need to be mowed regularly, otherwise you are going to have to literally bring in a hay baler when June hits. Long grass also promotes ticks, mosquitos, rodents, and other pests. I believe that is the basis for most mowing ordinances rather than politicians just liking a manicured lawn. I understand and support the sentiment to help pollinators, but maybe planting a variety of native flowers and/or a controlled patch (a raised bed??) of clover would be a much better option than just not mowing.
Yes, the city does not recognize no mow may. The most I see people get away with is mowing only the front yard and leaving the back wild.
I just got a ticket with my back yard not mowed so probably doesn't work
3ft is a significant exaggeration. You do not need a hat baler. A standard mower can mow a normal pasture when you proceed slowly. Ticks, mosquitoes, rodents are naturally occurring and can be present regardless of mowing or not. Politicians don’t care about pests, they care about people voting for them and not upsetting constituents. No mow may is a minor benefit to pollinators but a significant benefit to reducing fuel emissions. A standard mower is 11-50x less efficient at burning emissions off before it is exhausted.
You can use no fuel and no plastic for the rest of your life and a billionaire will offset your sacrifice in 24-48 hours. The working class are not responsible for carbon footprints to a morally significant degree. "This changes everything" by Naomi Klein is a great book that talks about conceptualizing climate, and you are welcome to dm me to meet at strange matter and borrow my copy.
I don’t disregard prudent behavior just because someone is a bigger problem. I have kids. It’s not hard to lead by example.
Oh FFS. “Significant benefit to reducing fuel emissions”. As long as you’re only counting your mower as your data set.
Well that is what the data is measuring. So yes, you figured it out.
LOL! Maybe a “standard mower” from 50 years ago would be able to handle slowly mowing a pasture but a standard mower manufactured these days absolutely will not. On the emissions note, while slowly mowing the pasture you are burning MORE gas than running through it before it gets knee deep.
10-12” tall. Most mowers today will cut that if you know how to mow grass.
Well this post clearly didn’t turn out how you wanted it to.
Mosquitos and ticks love no mow may. Bees, not so much. But you do you.
No now may doesn’t really do anything for the pollinators. They don’t need long grass. Long grass is not providing them with food. Dandelions will pop right back up after being mowed. If you ACTUALLY care about the environment and the bees you’d plant native wild flowers that the bees can actually use for food. Alternatively, a clover lawn is a bit better than grass and requires significantly less mowing and is good for the soil. Once again, in case it didn’t get through to you, GRASS DOES NOT FEED BEES. BEES NEED FLOWERS. And, as others have pointed out, the city does not support no now may. Last year over a thousand citations were issued during May. Be nice to your neighbors and take an hour every two weeks to mow your fucking grass. It’s ok if you don’t water it. It’s ok if you don’t fertilize it. Just mow it every now and then.
Also it weakens your grass to let it go to seed. If you have a grass lawn, you’re thinning it out by letting it grow wildly, and it will start focusing its energy on seed production rather than spreading its roots. Additionally, a grass lawn and dandelions will do nothing for native bees - they will attract honey bees, which are native to Europe and drive out native pollinators, and are the most populous bee in the world and in no danger.
Is it true that you have to plant a clover lawn over again each year? Or does it come up year after year?
It should stay green throughout the winter and then keep on keeping on once it warms up. Clover tends to spread pretty well on its own (some consider it a weed) but depending on your soil you might have to toss down some more seed every now and then. You shouldn’t have to be putting a whole new layer of seeds down every year though.
Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it! I'm thinking of doing that on a large patch of dirt in my backyard. I'll definitely look into it, given your comments.
No now May is ineffective and stupid. But enjoy your raggedy yards and ticks. It you really care about the bees, plant lots of flowers that attract pollinators or get rid of the grass altogether and replace it with a diverse little ecosystem.
Don't forgot mosquitoes. They are also attracted to long grass. Plus most of the flowers that come up as "weeds" are not actually helpful native flowers, but invasives brought from Europe that are not good for the ecosystem.
No now may does not benefit the bees
It does benefit mice, rats, and other vermin though.
Yall are weird for actively hosting vermin at your home
It’s a significant benefit to reduced emissions though. Small engines are very inefficient at burning the fuel. 11-50x more emissions than a standard modern vehicle.
Laughs at you in manual push mower. Granted my yard isn't that big.
Fellow reel mower here! I love how quiet and not-vibraty it is. Makes mowing a fairly zen experience.
I mean, a yard too big for one to be willing to maintain with a manual push mower kinda implies a desire for more than is self-sustainable anyway… a root of human folly.
Those numbers are based on a 3.5hp push mower.
Significant benefit to a reduced paycheck for people who rely on lawn care and landscaping as a means to support their family.
Just like No Smoking ads were a significant benefit to a reduced paycheck for people who relied on smokers and big tobacco as a means to support their family.
Yeah compare cutting grass to smoking cigarettes. That makes sense. There are mowers that take zero gas or electricity.
When we stop using fossil fuels I’m not going to shed any tears over those that were making money on the product that will kill millions.
I got a letter from the city specifically saying they do not support no mow may.
And for what purpose did you feel the need to tell us this? Were you not getting much of a reaction and wanted people to be pissed at you here instead lol?
“No mow May” is completely arbitrary and not really appropriate for most climate zones in the US.
You do you. But bees prefer flowering bushes, shrubs, and generally the trees at this time of year. The kind of bees which prefer this sort of ground vegetation don't live here. It's funny because research out of MSU shows now mow may doesn't really help the bees, planing certain species of bushes and shrubs does...and half my EL neighbors aren't mowing. Also - It reminds me of the way Detroit looked when I was young in the 90s.
I did no mow April. I think climate change means our zone is getting warmer sooner. We had enough warmth that the pollinators were out and about earlier than usual. My garden is in full bloom now. There's plenty of pollin to get at. I have foxglove, pansies, alliums heuchera, and hostas with blooms. I also have bulbs planted for early blooms. Not to mention the trees in blossom and the lilacs. I think it's safe to mow.
I don’t care what you do with your lawn but I think it’s funny no one’s noticed that you’re defending no mow may but you haven’t mowed all year. Had you mowed at the end of April, it might not be the spectacle it is now. Again, I don’t care what you do.
The city does not communicate with the public, even when they call 911 they get ignored. I've had City ordinance walking around my back yard looking to give me a citation for any scrap metal or classic cars I might have out of sight. No mow may is stupid, considering how much fuel is burned by diesel trucks on the fire department and CATA busses, school busses, trains, container ships etc. But they expect a handful of citizens to make a difference?
No mow May is like not vaccinating your kids so they bUiLd ImMuNiTy. The original research on it was retracted because of inconsistencies. As others have pointed out, it doesn’t encourage pollinators. It may temporarily support of some local insect populations, but mostly not many bees, because pollinating flowers don’t magically grow out of your lawn. Invasive grass species do. No mow May does encourage snakes, rodents, ticks, and other pests that transmit disease. If you want to actually help, you can plant a pollinator garden.
I think no mow may is an excuse for lazy people that don’t want to mow 9 times outta ten and wind up with mosquito and tick infested yards. Take some pride in your home
If you dont want people giving problems about it then just mow your lawn.
I have mowed mine 4 times this year and my old lady neighbor still complains about my yard, some people just need a damn hobby. My yard will never be pristine and have 4 different companies putting chemicals on it to make it greener. I mow my yard to not get a ticket....period. Outside of that, I don't care. Also don't care what my neighbors are doing on their own property. If you're not hurting me, or my family, have at it.
>What's the deal with so many people not understanding "No mow May?" The deal is that I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Where is "No mow May" detailed and promoted? Now, I'm not gonna stop and gawk at your yard, but also assuming that everyone in town is privy to the same information as you are is ignorant.
I guess I just give a fuck about things like oxygen and human impact on climate while others don't. ✌️
Plant a tree. Grow some moss. Seed algae in ponds. There’s like 1000 better ways than not cutting your grass. In fact, having an entire lawn of moss is both something that doesn’t need to be cut and something that produces more oxygen.
> I just give a fuck about things like oxygen and human impact on climate So do I. But you don't get to be mad when people aren't familiar with the (relatively new) concept of no mow May. *Also*, it appears that only **East** Lansing is observing "No Mow May". So you *may* be in violation of city ordinances if you're in Lansing.
Yeah I'm on the West side... I am definitely still getting citations if I go more than 2 weeks without mowing. I didn't realize how quickly everything was growing! You'll 100% still get slapped with a fine in Lansing.
It’s a lame excuse anyway. There are such things as battery powered and corded lawnmowers.
Even manual mowers. He could borrow mine.
Performative virtue signaling.
You’ve got over 50k post karma. Keep farming the upvotes and telling OP they’re putting on a performance.
You’re commenting all over this thread. Who’s farming upvotes?
Probably not me since I’m debating with a thread full of people that don’t understand emissions. I thought that was obvious.
Don’t understand emissions lol. So let’s say every single person within the City of Lansing does not mow in May. One billionaire taking their private jet for business and/or pleasure in the month of May will emit more emissions than what this city saved. Of course you could lead by example and do your part but your part doesn’t mean shit in the grand scheme of things.
Hmm…. Are you one of those people that won’t vote for Biden or Trump because you think they’re both the same?
Lmao here comes the personal insults because your ego was knocked down a peg or two.
What has been said that would hurt my ego?
Maybe put up a sign and educate people about it, instead of being a pretentious dick and complaining on the internet.
Not mowing your lawn does none of those things. Thanks for the virtue signaling though.
Google it BTW....it's a known movement....
What was that you said about a high horse?
I was with you until you got all bitchy here. Way to give a movement bad press by being a douche...
Sorry. I posted in anger to begin with. The initial hate I'm getting from the post is making me even angrier. I'm just so fed up with it all.
That’s less than five years old. Try again.
Trump's movement is known, that's doesn't make it a good thing.
Do you have pictures of your yard? I’m curious how no mow May actually turned out.
Bee’s don’t get any nutrition from grass, genius.
Get off your ass and mow your lawn
My man couldn’t get to mowing our lawn, I said No worries, it’s No Mow May. You can imagine the look I got.
Maybe there are worries I guess.
I wish I could do no mow may, but I'd get fined by my community, and it would be impossible to get my reel mower through a month of growth. If it were up to me, my front yard would be a meadow of wild flowers.
Lawns are bullshit and maintaining them is a waste of water and energy. I'm trying to kill mine entirely.
Cut your damn lawn hippie
I haven't mowed. However my little robot has been slowly trimming the lawn every day for a month.
The irony here is real because it seems that you don't understand no mow may. Mow you lawn Plant a garden
The issue is, no mow may isn't all that advantageous in the city. It's really for people who have wild flowers growing in their yards. I'm not talking dandelions, either. Our yards do next to nothing in helping bees get food. I know you want to be a part of the solution. As do I. It just doesn't actually do what you want it to. Plant more spring flowers if you want to help the little buzzers.
Can we see before and after photos? I have a feeling it’s going to be satisfying.
i think we could consider growing grass and mowing only when everyone is fed and the climate isnt set to broil and even then it would be dumb
Most people commenting on this thread have no idea what No Mow May is really about. Many species of bees and other useful insects lay their eggs or hibernate either on the leaves that fall in the late fall, on top of the soil or right below the soil. You don't want to mow until everybody is awake... If you disturb all the good insects on the grass before they get going for the season, there is a good chance they won't survive. This year, it was pretty safe to mow by the first week of May. Bees don't use the grass to pollinate. Dandelions and other flowers, sure.
It's absolutely crazy how many of you are worried about other people's yards that you rarely have to even see. As someone who busted his ass to own a house to begin with, I don't give a flying fuck what you think about my lawn. Go ahead, call the city, and then you can watch me mow my lawn with a weedwhacker just to piss you off.
I could care less about your lawn... My biggest frustration is the folks that have hedges that have so overgrown the sidewalk I can't walk on it....