No Mow May

At its March 14 meeting, St. Anthony City Council approved resolution 23-020 recognizing No Mow May and approving an exemption to city code limiting yard cover to 6” for the period of May 1 – May 31, 2023. 

• No Mow May is an optional, opt-in activity for residents wishing to participate. 
• The timeframe for No Mow May is May 1 through May 31, 2023.
• Residents do not need to register to participate in No Mow May.
• Enforcement of City Code 150.094(E) will be suspended for the month of May 2023.
• Participants will have a grace period, ending on June 10, to bring their lawns back to the ordinance height requirement of 6" or less.

About No Mow May

No Mow May is a movement encouraging property owners to limit lawn mowing during the month of May to provide critical early season foraging resources to emerging pollinators.

Floral blooms can be difficult to find early in the season, and residents can help bees and pollinators thrive by allowing lawns to grow longer and not applying pesticides.

A study from Lawrence University found a fivefold increase in the number of bees when May mowing was suspended. A second study by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station found bee abundance still increased even when lawns were mown every other week.

Additional resources can be found here: No Mow May - Bee City USA

Tips for resuming mowing in June:

• Mow late in the day or when grass is dry
• Mow down in small increments (never more than 1/3 of grass blade’s height at one time)
• Rake up excessive clippings to prevent them from going into streets. This protects local water quality and keeps storm drains clear.