The bees won when the mowing stopped

Nobody plants a garden on a highway median — but pollinators moved in anyway, and a new Canadian study shows how to help them. Researchers in the Ottawa area compared roadsides mowed twice a year with a light touch of weed sprayer against those mowed up to four times with broader spraying. The lighter touch won big: 45% more pollinators and 23% more species — 3,773 insects identified across 31 sites over two summers. The best part: it costs nothing extra. 'You don't need to plant anything new or spend more money,' says biologist Jessica Forrest. 'You just need to let the roadside be a little less tidy.'