Residential Lawn Management and Pollinators

Bees and other pollinators are experiencing severe declines, primarily due to habitat loss, that have cascading effects on urban, agricultural, and natural landscapes and the people that depend on them. 

Research from Springfield, MA tested how lawn mowing frequency can enhance habitat for pollinators and ecosystem services in residential landscapes. In sum mowing every two-weeks resulted in more lawn flowers and more bees.

Current research as part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Long-Term Ecological Research (MSP LTER) project funded by the National Science Foundation, researchers from the US Forest Service, University of Minnesota, and University of St. Thomas are testing the effectiveness of a new state-wide “Bee Lawn” program for transforming Minneapolis-St. Paul into a refuge for pollinators. This research will be useful for managers of the bee lawn program by providing detailed information on optimal soil properties, plant mixes, lawn size, and locations for supporting pollinators.

Understanding how to maintain and increase beneficial pollinator habitat throughout cities, suburbs and towns could have significant and positive impacts on insect pollinator populations. 

Key Messages

• Less intensive lawn management (e.g., mowing less and bee lawns) is an easy alternative to the traditional lawn: two-week mowing regime (lazy lawnmower) has more floral resources and more bees.
• Testing the efficacy of the MN state-wide bee lawn program to see whether it works and what are the added benefits (MSP LTER).
• We can all make a contribution to biodiversity conservation.
• Many options to contribute: mow less, plant more, reduce lawn area, talk with neighbors.

Lawns cover more than 163,800 km² within the US, and thus their management potential has important implications for pollinator habitat in urban, suburban, and rural lands. The ‘lazy lawnmower’ approach provides bee habitat while demonstrating how individual households can contribute to biodiversity conservation. Research also showed that yards mowed less frequently had lower carbon emissions from the mower, and regardless of mowing frequency (a proxy for lawn height), the study lawns did not support any ticks. 

Expanding research to the Twin Cities as part of the MSP LTER, researchers will visit participating households in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area over a six-year period to conduct bee surveys, soil sample collection, plant surveys, and conduct an annual phone interview about yard management choices and future plans.  In addition to planting pollinator gardens and bee lawns, householders and other lawn stewards can mow their lawns less frequently, which saves time and money, and doesn’t require new knowledge.