Thetford selectboard ponders bee-friendly May. Tick-friendly, too?
To mow or not to mow? That is the question for many lawn owners as the No Mow May initiative gathers steam.
The Thetford Selectboard has an item related to No Mow May on tonight’s meeting agenda after at least one town committee endorsed the strategy, today’s Journal-Opinion newsletter reports.
What’s the logic behind No Mow May?
“By simply eliminating or sharply reducing the mowing of your lawn and allowing more flowers to bloom offers bees and other pollinators a wonderful playground of floral resources at a critical time in their lifecycles,” stated the Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s Apiary Program Manager.
But some say the strategy is misguided. They point to long grass as a playground for ticks which pose potential severe health threats to humans and animals alike. Others say tactical mowing produces better outcomes for pollinators than complete abstinence.
The debate is moving to public forums across the country, noted the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this spring, No Mow May took up 66 minutes of a 71-minute committee meeting of the Appleton, Wisconsin City Council.
“Debate can veer deeply into the weeds, such as when members speculated about the ideal height of grass for nurturing dandelions.”
You’re on the clock, Thetford.