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Letting grass grow long boosts butterfly numbers, UK study proves (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

5 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Good news for lazy gardeners: one labour-saving tweak could almost double the number of butterflies in your garden, according to a new scientific study – let the grass grow long.

In recent years nature lovers have been extolling the benefits of relaxed lawn maintenance with the growing popularity of the #NoMowMay campaign. Now an analysis of six years of butterfly sightings across 600 British gardens has provided the first scientific evidence that wilder lawns boost butterfly numbers.

The benefits of leaving areas of grass long were most pronounced in gardens within intensively farmed landscapes, with up to 93% more butterflies found and a greater range of species. Gardens with long grass in urban areas showed an 18% boost to butterfly abundance.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Sadly it also greatly increases the tick population. As in short grass will have none, long will have plenty.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

There is room for both, nicly cut paths in long grass look great and are easy to look after.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

i think the common response to that (biased, cause this is what we do in my lawn) is that by letting things get wilder, more natural tick predators come out as well - possum, snake, bird, etc.

that being said, i’ve had to pick a few off me…the price for wild turkeys flocking in my yard is one i’m willing to pay!

edit:changed your to my to clarify!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Ticks end up hitching a ride on my pets. Until there is a vaccine for lyme disease I will keep mowing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Think the tick threat grows with the grass? Not necessarily!