Simple Ideas to help Pollinators

10 simple things you can do to help pollinators in your garden

5. Leave Areas of Lawn Unmown

Lawns can contain lots of flowering plants that are great for pollinators. Short uniform grass that is regularly cut will often have a low species diversity. Many species often considered to be weeds in a lawn like dandelions, daisies, buttercup, clover and speedwell are a great source of pollen and nectar for pollinators so it's worth leaving some areas for these to flourish. Dependent on what is already present in your lawn, you can stop mowing to allow some of the species already present to become established.  Alternatively, you can plant some wildflowers into your lawn and then leave the lawn uncut for periods of the year so that the wildflowers can flower.  Both these ideas are simple and cost effective ways to help insect pollinators such as bumblebees and butterflies.

Don't forget that lawns are also a really important nesting habitat for some bumblebees! Long grassy areas are just the type of habitat that common carder bumblebees like to nest in.  The rarer brown-banded carder, moss carder and red-shanked carder bumblebees also like to nest in long grassy habitats.  So if you leave a patch of lawn unmown you might be really lucky and get one of these rarer bumblebees nesting in your garden!

Learn More:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/giveyourmowerarest/

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