BANGOR, Maine — The city of Bangor has become the latest municipality in Maine to jump on the national trend of "No Mow May" by easing lawn code enforcement for the month.
The Bangor City Council voted in February to ease on the normal code enforcements for the month of May. Lawns will now be allowed to grow taller than the usual 10-inch restriction.
The movement aims to help pollinators, like bees, who may not have an ample amount of pollen sources before flowers bloom. By not mowing, it can give pollinators the opportunity to feast on dandelions and other wildflowers instead.
After the start of the month, the city's code enforcement director, Jeff Wallace, said there was a bit of pushback about whether the tall grass would attract more ticks to the area.
He said before implementation, the city reviewed a handful of research that points to no correlation between ticks and grass height, but it does show some benefits.
"[We] had some fabulous help from Anya Collette in our planning office, who did a lot of work around the research ... It does work, it does help the bees, and so we went ahead with it," Wallace said.
Wallace also reiterated the initiative is entirely voluntary, so anyone is able to mow if they choose.
Last year, Rockland and Portland also joined in on the month-long initiative.
People can also pick up a yard sign to display support. Those are available on the first floor of Bangor City Hall until supplies last.