Unmowed strips attract insects, but many abandon partially mowed dikes
Municipalities are increasingly mowing dikes and verges in stages, so that insects can make longer use of the plants growing there. Mowing is essential to keep a dike strong, explains ecologist Constant Swinkels of Radboud University. "If you don't mow, trees or sturdy shrubs such as blackberries may start to grow. You don't want that, because their roots are so thick that they can cause dikes to…
Unmowed strips at the edges of dikes initially attracted insects, doubling the number of flower visits made by pollinators. However, many species abandoned these areas within just four days. Research by ecologist Constant Swinkels and his team revealed that while partial mowing retained some robust bees, it did not sufficiently protect rarer pollinators.
The study, published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity, involved counting 30,000 flower visits and identifying 5,000 wild pollinators at a dike site near Nijmegen. Despite partial mowing being better than full mowing, the researchers emphasize that it is not the complete solution. Swinkels stresses the need for a broader, landscape-level approach to managing dikes and verges, taking into account factors like the flowering times of surrounding grassy areas.
Rather than focusing on every individual patch, varying mowing schedules across different dikes could provide insects with alternative refuges and sources of floral resources. The ecologist argues that continuous management with minor variations in treatment is key to enabling species to adapt to changing conditions.
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