This week wraps up Pollinator Awareness Month in Mendota Heights. Here are a few reminders about ways to make your lawn and landscape more pollinator-friendly!
First, know your pollinators:
- Bees: Honey Bees and bumblebees.
- Butterflies: Monarchs and swallowtails.
- Birds: Especially hummingbirds, which pollinate many tubular flowers.
- Bats: Important pollinators especially in urban areas.
- Beetles: One of the oldest groups of pollinators, especially active on open-faced flowers.
- Flies and Moths: Including hoverflies and nocturnal moths that visit flowers after dark.
Then, implement pollinator-friendly lawn care & landscaping:
Traditional lawn care often involves chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that can be harmful to pollinators. Here are some alternatives and tips to make your landscape a safe haven for pollinators:
- Skip the chemicals: Reduce or eliminate synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Choose organic alternatives like compost, manure, coffee grounds, fish emulsion, blood and bone meal or integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.
- Go native: Replace parts of your lawn with native grasses and flowering ground covers. These support biodiversity and require less water and maintenance.
- Create habitat: Leave some leaf litter for overwintering pollinators.
- Reduce mowing: Mow less frequently and keep grass a bit taller. This offers shelter to pollinators.
Get Involved: Dakota County SWCD Lawns Reimagined Pilot Program
Interested in transforming part of your lawn into a pollinator-friendly space? Check out the Lawns Reimagined Pilot Program from the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). This program provides guidance and funding support for residents who want to convert turfgrass into native plantings that benefit pollinators and improve water quality.