Bees and other pollinators play an essential role in our environment, our economy and boosting bio-diversity.
We have thousands of pollinator species in the UK, including bumblebees, beetles, moths and butterflies, but populations remain under threat from loss of habitats and climate change.
Rugby Borough Council has adopted a Pollinator Friendly Policy to increase the number of grass meadows across the borough. The policy supports the Government's National Pollinator Strategy and our commitment to tackle climate change.
The policy aims to:
By creating grass meadows, we can increase the number of plant species in the borough, developing new habitats to support pollinating insects.
Grass meadows also support other wildlife, including birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, such as field mice and voles.
And leaving grass to grow boosts the soil's ability to capture carbon - protecting and enhancing our environment.
You can play a part in helping to make Rugby pollinator friendly.
Here's five simple steps you can take:
1. Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees - we need more plants rich in pollen and nectar, feeding pollinators throughout the year.
2. Let it grow - leave patches of garden to grow wild, creating food sources and breeding places for butterflies and moths.
3. Slow mow - cut grass less often and remove the cuttings to allow plants to flower.
4. Do not disturb - insects nest and hibernate in grass margins, bare soil, hedgerows, trees, dead wood and walls. Do not disturb or destroy nesting and hibernation spots.
5. Pause before using pesticides - consider alternative measures before using pesticides, particularly near active pollinators or flowering plants.
You can find out more about BEEcoming a pollinator friend from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
Rugby Borough Council undertakes routine grounds maintenance operations such as grass cutting, shrub bed maintenance and hedge cutting.
In respect of grass cutting, we operate the following range of mowing regimes depending on the location:
Our mowing regimes aim to manage our habitats to support a variety of flora, animals and pollinator-friendly insects.
We leave grasslands where flowering bulbs have been naturalised unmown for a minimum period of six weeks after flowering.
Leaving time for the bulb foliage to sufficiently die back means the bulbs retain the maximum amount of nutrients, helping to ensuring flowering in future years.
We have published a full list of our current wildflower meadows and grassland urban meadows.
Click on a council ward in the table below to discover the meadows near you.
| Council ward |
|---|
| Admirals and Cawston |
| Benn |
| Bilton |
| Coton and Boughton |
| Dunsmore |
| Eastlands |
| Hillmorton |
| New Bilton |
| Newbold and Brownsover |
| Paddox |
| Rokeby and Overslade |
Grassland urban meadow