No Mow May: How to Help Bees Without Annoying Your Neighbors

In northern parts of the U.S., early spring is when native bees emerge from their hives, hungry and ready to forage. But many of the flowers they feed on haven’t bloomed yet. So they focus on small, flowering plants like celandine, chickweed, clover, self heal, and violet—the kinds of plants that pop up in lawns before the first mow. Especially in urban and suburban areas where meadows and un-mowed areas are scarce, forgoing mowing for a while lets those plants grow and helps native bees flourish.

By trimming just the top of your grass but leaving it a bit higher than you may be used to—or mowing less frequently—you actually can provide many of the same benefits to pollinators as No Mow May, experts say.

“Once you start mowing higher, you’ll get incidental flowering plants,” says Frank Rossi, associate professor at the school of integrative plant science at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. To do this, raise your lawn mower deck to 4 inches or higher, or to at least 3½ inches.

The University of Minnesota Bee Lab says on its website that when it comes to white clover, you actually may need to mow in May to encourage the plants to flower again if they’re going to seed. “People should not take the catch phrase ‘No Mow May’ literally,” the website states.

A strict No Mow May isn’t ideal for a number of reasons. Come June, mowing down a month’s worth of growth will be a hassle. Very high grass can encourage the proliferation of pests like the Lonestar tick, Rossi says. And you’re not doing your lawn any favors. Like little solar panels, grass blades create the energy that feeds and develops the plant’s deep roots below, he says. Growing your grass high and then abruptly cutting that energy source by more than a third shocks the plant.

“You’ll get an immediate stoppage of growth of the roots,” Rossi says. “That tends to weaken the plant right before the warm and dry summer months.” 

The practice of mowing regularly but higher than normal, however, encourages strong roots that are proportional to the plants above ground. So when you eventually drop the mower deck, you’re not doing the same damage to the plant. In fact, you’re providing better support through the roots. 

“If your roots are more deep and expansive, you can mine the soil for more water and nutrients,” Rossi says.

In fact, continuing to mow high through July—and then dropping the deck to your preference—will help your grass withstand the hot summer months while reducing how often you’ll have to water. “Your lawn might look different from your neighbors’ in the spring, but in the summer it will look better,” Rossi says.

For a variety of reasons, not every lawn owner can do a version of No Mow May. For instance, folks concerned about ticks should keep their grass to a height of 3 inches, because those disease-carriers thrive in tall growth. And some people need to keep their grass low to conform with homeowner association or municipal rules. Here are alternatives to consider, based on your situation.

• Mow "slow." Reducing your mowing to every two weeks from one—a practice called “slow mow” that many communities are adopting—is another way to help beneficial flowers grow. And that’s a worthwhile goal even in rural areas, where fewer flowers in roadside habitats has stressed pollinator populations, says Evans, the extension educator. “If more farmsteads with huge lawns mowed less frequently and had more flowers in their lawns, that could be very important for pollinators out in those landscapes,” she says.

• Let a few flowers grow on your lawn. Shorter lawns can look well-groomed even with some small flowers sprinkled throughout. Clovers are hardy, grow fast, and aren’t particularly visible, especially on larger lawns. The small white flowers of low-growing aster and the tiny purple blooms of creeping thyme can add dimension and beauty. You can even find lawn-seed mixes that include bee-friendly flowers through specialty seed companies. 

• Avoid chemicals on your lawn. Chemical fertilizers and herbicides that get absorbed into your soil or eventually enter the water table threaten the survival of pollinators—not only on your property but also throughout your community. Check out CR’s alternatives for managing your lawn without using these products.

• Designate high- and low-growth areas. If you don’t need a lot of lawn for, say, a child’s play area, set aside a portion to grow just wildflowers. “There’s a lot of potential habitat not serving purposes,” Evans says. “People are turning lawns into multipurpose spaces, so why not also support wildlife?” 

• Plant a pollinator garden. This won’t necessarily help pollinators in the early spring, but it can help support them later in the season. Check with your state or county’s agricultural extension service for advice on the best plants for your area.

All the recommended gas-powered walk-behind mowers in CR’s ratings can cut your grass at least 3½ inches high, and most of the electric (battery-powered) ones can, too. If you’re aiming for a more environmentally friendly approach, go for an electric mower; it won’t pollute the air and has the added benefit of being far quieter than a gas one.

Consumer Reports members can read on to see a selection of the highest-rated walk-behind gas and battery (electric) mowers from our tests that can cut at 4 inches or higher.