Should You Pull Dandelions? Dandelions, Clover and Bees

Every spring the same message goes around: don’t pull the dandelions, they’re the bees’ first food. Beekeepers smile at that one. Our bees are happy to work a lawn full of dandelions, but by the time they open, the bees have already been feeding for weeks. The truth is more useful than the slogan.

Quick answer: You don’t need to pull dandelions; bees use their nectar and pollen in April and May. But dandelions aren’t the first spring food in Massachusetts (red maple and willow bloom earlier), and their pollen is low in several amino acids bees need, so they’re a snack, not a full diet. White clover is a better lawn flower for bees. The best lawn for bees mixes clover, dandelions and other flowers and skips weed killers.

Are dandelions good for bees?

Yes, in moderation. A dandelion head is a cluster of many tiny florets, each with nectar and bright orange pollen, and bees of all kinds visit them. In the Springfield, Massachusetts lawn study by Susannah Lerman and colleagues (2018), dandelions and clover were among the main lawn flowers bees used. Dandelions bloom heavily in April and May and keep flowering here and there into fall.

Are dandelions the first food for bees in spring?

Not in Massachusetts. On the South Coast, red maples and willows bloom in March and early April, before most dandelions open, and honeybees bring in loads of their pollen. By dandelion season, the bees are also working fruit trees and highbush blueberry. Our guide to South Coast honey has the full local bloom calendar.

Why isn’t dandelion pollen enough on its own?

Because it’s nutritionally incomplete. A 1987 study by Gordon Loper and Allen Cohen in the Journal of Economic Entomology measured the amino acids in dandelion pollen and found it low in valine, isoleucine, leucine and arginine relative to what honeybees need. Colonies fed only dandelion pollen raise brood poorly. Mixed with pollen from other plants, though, it’s a fine part of the diet. Variety is what bees need, which is why a lawn of only dandelions doesn’t do much on its own.

Is clover good for bees?

Yes, and it’s one of the best lawn plants you can have. White clover blooms from late spring through summer, produces plenty of nectar, and is worked hard by honeybees and bumblebees. Clover honey is one of the most familiar honeys in America for a reason. Our post on wildflower vs. clover honey explains the difference in the jar.

Clover also helps the lawn. It pulls nitrogen from the air into the soil, stays green in dry spells, and needs no fertilizer.

How do you make a lawn better for bees?

1. Skip weed-and-feed. Broadleaf weed killers remove clover, dandelions and violets, which are the flowers bees use in a lawn.
2. Overseed with white clover in spring or late summer, raked into thin spots.
3. Mow every two weeks or so, with the blade set high. In the Springfield study, lawns mowed every two weeks had the most bees. See our post on No Mow May.
4. Add real flower beds. A lawn is a supplement. Native perennials and shrubs feed bees all season; see our guide to planting a bee-friendly garden.
5. Keep a bee-free zone if you need one. Mow a play area or path more often so the clover doesn’t flower where kids run barefoot.

Should you pull dandelions before they go to seed?

That’s up to you. Dandelions aren’t native; they came from Eurasia. Pulling or mowing off seed heads keeps them from spreading into beds, and bees won’t miss a few plants as long as other flowers are around. If you’d like to put them to use, young dandelion leaves and flowers are edible; our spring foraging guide covers how to pick them safely.

Frequently asked questions

Do bees need dandelions?

Bees use dandelions but don’t depend on them. In Massachusetts, red maple and willow bloom earlier, and fruit trees bloom at the same time. Dandelion pollen alone is low in several amino acids bees need, so it works best as one food among many.

Is a clover lawn good for bees?

Yes. White clover is a strong nectar source for honeybees and bumblebees and blooms for months. A lawn with clover in it, mowed every couple of weeks and kept free of weed killers, feeds a lot of bees.

Will a clover lawn mean more bee stings?

It can, if people walk barefoot through flowering clover. Bees on flowers aren’t defensive, but stepping on one can earn a sting. Mow play areas more often, or wear shoes during clover bloom. See our bee sting first aid guide.

Do bees make dandelion honey?

Yes, though it’s rarely sold on its own in New England, because dandelions bloom alongside fruit trees, maples and other spring flowers. Spring honey here is a blend, light and mild.

When do dandelions bloom in Massachusetts?

Dandelions bloom most heavily in April and May in Massachusetts, with scattered flowers through summer and into fall until a hard frost.

Sources

• Loper GM, Cohen AC. “Amino acid content of dandelion pollen, a honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) nutritional evaluation.” Journal of Economic Entomology, 1987.
• Lerman SB, Contosta AR, Milam J, Bang C. “To mow or to mow less: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity in suburban yards.” Biological Conservation, 2018. DOI

Leave a few dandelions, welcome the clover, and plant something that blooms in July. The bees will find all of it.