For several years, many people have been taking part in the dandelion challenge in order to leave this source of nectar and pollen for as long as possible for pollinators.
This practice benefits honeybees and beekeepers, as well as all other pollinators like bumblebees, butterflies, and even certain flies. If you needed a reason to let your peers take over and postpone mowing your lawn in May, here it is!
Additionally, if pollen clouds bother you, you can simply wait until the flowers have gone to seed before cutting them. This way, you'll leave floral resources for pollinators, but avoid the hassle!
The effort required to convince people not to cut down this unloved plant always surprises me considering that the dandelion is a plant that was introduced by our ancestors for its medicinal benefits and because the whole plant is edible. Moreover, as you can see every year, it is not very difficult to maintain! It is therefore quite ironic that in this modern age, this plant, adored a few hundred years ago, has become the bane of the neighborhood in an urban environment.
So if this plant isn't native, why does it play such an important role for pollinators?
Let's focus on the honeybee and then take a look at other native pollinators. Just like the dandelion or coltsfoot (that first source of pollen in the spring), the honeybee is an introduced species. Although introduced, today the honeybee is at the heart of our agricultural system. Indeed, 33% of our food depends on pollination by the honeybee. The "save the bees" movement has created confusion among the public, where two problems are often misunderstood. There are more than 20,000 species of bees on the planet. The honeybee is one of them, but in Quebec alone, we find more than 350 species of wild bees. The vast majority of these species are at risk, and this constitutes the "real" problem with bees from the perspective of conservation and resilience of our ecosystems. The honeybee is also subject to these same environmental pressures. We've observed a very high average mortality rate over the past decade. Annual mortality rates of 40% are becoming the norm for commercial beekeepers. This second problem is much more anthropocentric. Indeed, the honeybee is primarily important for the sustainability of our food system, as mentioned above.
These two problems are intrinsically linked. Indeed, the honeybee is a bioindicator species. In other words, the impact on the honeybee can be generalized to other bee species. So, imagine if a species assisted by a beekeeper experiences such high mortality, what about all the other species left to their own devices?!
In forested environments, wild pollinators have access to native plants and trees, and the presence of dandelions can have a lesser impact. However, in urban or peri-urban environments where the environment is sanitized and concreted, floral sources are scarce. Did you know that a single hive requires several 100-200 million flowers in a season to feed itself? So, imagine the impact of mowing your dandelion in the spring in an environment where no other flowers are present! In addition, dandelion nectar has very high sugar levels (up to 70% of the sugar), which reduces the number of flowers to visit to acquire the energy necessary for the development of the hive.
The increase in urban beekeeping is another good reason not to cut your dandelions, but also to think about managing your flowerbeds and lawns in a way that respects nature and promotes a floral resource throughout the summer season.
So, besides leaving those little yellow flowers in the spring, what can I do to really help bees, beekeepers, and all other pollinators?
- Avoid raking your leaves before the beginning of May (Many species such as some bumblebees spend the winter under the leaves and raking too early will kill them!)
- Promote selective cutting throughout the year
- Transition to ground covers instead of traditional turf
- Install hotels for wild bees
- Plant a fruit tree
- Avoid all pesticides
- Buy your honey and other beehive products from a local beekeeper
These 7 tips will truly help all pollinators, as well as beekeepers in Quebec. To facilitate this transition, we have concocted a mixture intended for those who wish to move away from lawns and move towards a ground cover that requires little mowing and will provide an interesting floral resource for the entire season. We have selected seeds from a Quebec producer ( Jardin des Écoumènes ) for you which include:
- Creeping thyme
- Clover agrees
- White clover
- Meadow Chrysanthemum (White Daisy)
- Capucine
- Purple coneflower
- Wild lupin
- Rudbecki's Bristles
Here is the link to the seed mix and the small wild bee hotel
Happy season!