How you can protect pollinators in East Lansing during No Mow May

• No Mow May is an initiative to get property owners to stop or limit mowing their lawns in an effort to build habitat and provide resources for early-season pollinators.
• Experts say the initiative shouldn't stop on June 1, and there are ways to continue protecting pollinators the rest of the season.
• Video shows an MSU Expert sharing her thoughts, as well as a local Plant Sales Manager discussing tips to protect pollinators in your yard, even after the month is over.
  

Starting Wednesday, East Lansing's No Mow May initiative is back. I spoke with an expert at Michigan State to find out what impacts it can have.

"The No Mow May campaign does bring awareness about the need of pollinators," Ana Heck, an Extension Educator at Michigan State University, said. She says while initiatives like No Mow May can help in the early part of the season, it's the work after the calendar flips to June that can protect pollinators.

"We should be thinking beyond just May," Heck said. "We should be thinking throughout the time that bees are active. We need plants that are in bloom for bees, you know, Spring, Summer, and fall."

Stephanie Hahn, a Plant Sales Manager at Van Atta's Greenhouse and Flower Shop in Haslett, says planting a range of plants in your yard can ensure pollinators have access to nectar for their full active season.

"We recommend planting an assortment of different types of plants so that you get a succession of different flowers throughout the season," Hahn said.

And while bees may be a commonly seen pollinator, Hahn says don't forget about others like butterflies that may benefit from leafy plants like herbs and milkweed.

"We think of pollinators as needing flowers for food sources," Hahn said. "But their young, the butterfly larva for example, feed on the foliage of plants. So if you can sprinkle some of those into your planters on your patio or around your yard, those are also good sources for them as well."

If you are interested in participating in No Mow May in East Lansing, you can register here . While registration isn't required, the City says it helps to track participation.

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