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Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

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Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#161

Post by serverlessmom »

I have always wanted to allow more lawn growth to create room for insect and animals to thrive, and to replace the invasive grasses that are so common in my state with local clover and creeping thyme ground cover but I have been surprised at the level of resistance this has been met with by landlords and nosy neighbors. Keeping a "neat and tidy" yard is one of those weird cultural values in the US that was born from misguided beliefs about patriotism and is rooted in classist ideas.

Even the idea of dandelions being "weeds" is ridiculous as the dandelion is an incredibly useful plant that can be used in a variety of circumstances. I really suggest that anyone interested in these topics check out a book called Lawn People How Grasses, Weeds, and Chemicals Make Us Who We Are.

https://tupress.temple.edu/book/0141

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#162

Post by drekk »

coryrc wrote: post #117
goda90 wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the point? How does that enhance your life?

Might like going barefoot and not stepping on bees.

Yeah Americans not wanting to interact with pollinators is why they are disappearing from our environments. You could achieve the same thing with zero-scaping also, not like you need to waste water to create a pollinator-free zone.

But then it wouldn't look the certain way you want, would it? That seems to be the main concern for Americans.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#163

Post by lazide »

bluedays wrote: post #145
lazide wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A LOT of the HOA president types are retired and stay at home a lot, and watch things like a hawk. I would expect a decent number of them to consider throwing ‘invasive’ seeds onto their lawns some kind of terrorist act. And almost all of them would comb over every legal resource they could find to try to nail you with something over it. This is definitely a case where you’d be better off just avoiding it entirely.

They gotta sleep some time.

Cheap high resolution surveillance cameras means they essentially don’t anymore. :s even the old fogies have jumped on that train.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#164

Post by oblio »

hanniabu wrote: post #53
cinntaile wrote: post #11

I don't understand why a lot of people have a lawn in the first place, most don't even use the lawn (besides mowing it on a regular basis hahaha)!

What would you have instead? Seeing greenery is good for mental health.

Real greenery. The mind boggles at the lack of imagination.

Trees, bushes, hedges.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#165

Post by 29athrowaway »

candiddevmike wrote: post #24

Also stop using herbicide and plant some clover. My neighbors hate me but I (and the bees, bunnies, and other critters) love my almost white lawn in July. It smells great, and the clover keeps the grass healthy.

The use-case for herbicides are large agricultural fields (several acres) where a worker can no longer deal with weeds individually.

Most herbicides require you to wear PPE. But in the residential market people ignore those instructions. Most of them are also unaware of the existence of safety data sheets, and are also unaware that the product packaging is not required to have every safety instruction for the product. The result: a proliferation of cancer lawsuits against herbicide manufacturers.

After use, herbicides still leave the dead plant behind that needs removal.

So, in practice, using herbicides for a residential yard is as stupid as declawing a cat.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#166

Post by QuarterReptile »

silisili wrote: post #124
maguirre wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a picture of what it looks like in full display? I have been thinking of trying clover on mine.

Not OP, but here was my yard a few years ago. I never planted any, it just spread itself I guess. Very beautiful and attracted bumble bees and rabbits. Apologies for the quality, cheap Android cam 4 years ago, zoomed in at that. https://ibb.co/nsB7fFT

When I see a picture like this, I wonder what everyone else is doing. This picture would be the result of extreme lawn care at my house...

I normally don't cut the grass until it's long enough that I can pick the flowers there and bring them inside (monthly?)

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#167

Post by pfdietz »

sokoloff wrote: post #155
mhh__ wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But people like coldplay and voted for the Nazis! If you don't want a weed on your garden, fair enough, but what's the point of the homogenous-lawn ideal Americans seem to have? It feels like a holdover from something like cold-war cultural propaganda.

What's the point of a manicured English garden? What's the point of a fine suit or dress? What's the point of a nice oil painting? What's the point of a Porsche 911 or Ferrari 488? People have different preferences and that used to be OK.

Veblen goods. They display that you can afford them.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#168

Post by RobertMiller »

bluedays wrote: post #145
lazide wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A LOT of the HOA president types are retired and stay at home a lot, and watch things like a hawk. I would expect a decent number of them to consider throwing ‘invasive’ seeds onto their lawns some kind of terrorist act. And almost all of them would comb over every legal resource they could find to try to nail you with something over it. This is definitely a case where you’d be better off just avoiding it entirely.

They gotta sleep some time.

Any time after 9pm, those sorts will be fast asleep.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#169

Post by thegginthesky »

worik wrote: post #123
giantg2 wrote: post #85

"Mowing less frequently [than 3 weeks] is practical," Not in all areas. Some grasses grow much more quickly, especially in warmer areas. Many areas require a lower mow to inhibit mosquito reproduction. Every 2 weeks tends to work well for my lawn.

Mosquitos? They require stagnant water. Do people in power worry that rubbish in the lawn will harbour water? (I do not have mosquitos where I live)

Depends on the location. Southern states in the US and many countries in Latin America have strict rules against rubble that accumulates still water, and you can even get fined if you have a pool and don't keep it clean and treated.

West Nile virus and Dengue virus are serious health hazards transmitted by mosquitoes, and many places try to contain it.

Re: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity (2018)

#170

Post by honksillet »

worik wrote: post #123
giantg2 wrote: post #85

"Mowing less frequently [than 3 weeks] is practical," Not in all areas. Some grasses grow much more quickly, especially in warmer areas. Many areas require a lower mow to inhibit mosquito reproduction. Every 2 weeks tends to work well for my lawn.

Mosquitos? They require stagnant water. Do people in power worry that rubbish in the lawn will harbour water? (I do not have mosquitos where I live)

In mosquito environments limiting lawn height definitely helps.
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