No Mow May is coming to a close and hopefully its impact is just beginning. The movement is intended to help pollinators like native bees, which emerge in the spring and often find a home in our lawns. But where there are pollinators, there are also pests that threaten plants and the beneficial bugs we hope to encourage.
Gardening expert Melinda Myers says it's important to make sure to read the label of any pesticide that targets specific kinds of bugs. If a pesticide targets caterpillars that means it will also kill caterpillars of beneficial pollinators.
Myers says that for people who aren't growing plants commercially, it can be best to hand pick insects or use traps to catch them instead of using pesticides that could damage other wildlife. For native pests, nature can also play a part in controlling nuisance bugs.
"I like to kind of tolerate a little bit of damage and then let the songbirds, predacious insects really handle it. And I find the more I work with nature, the less I really need to depend on chemicals. ... Let nature handle what it can, look for solutions like hand-picking, traps, barriers like row cover," she explains.
Myers is partnering with Wisconsin Public Libraries this summer to help educate people on how to encourage pollinators in our yards. The series will include videos for kids and teens as well as webinars to teach people how to create a pollinator-friendly yard or garden.
