Reminder to not do this in New Jersey for now

It's hard to believe spring is right around the corner. That means spring fever for many throughout The Garden State.

Of course, New Jersey doesn't typically get warm completely until later on in the season. Until then, it's typically a roller coaster when it comes to temperatures and weather in general.

And that's perfectly normal for us here. Sometimes spring will strike early (think warm days in March), or winter will stick around late (think cold snap later in April).

Fortunately, most of New Jersey's trees, plants, and vegetation are adapted to what the weather will throw at it. The same thing goes for our animals and insects.

Even we get excited when those warmer days begin to come. One of the earliest signs of the time of year shows up in our lawns.

Sudden Growth

Grass suddenly becomes a rich green and starts growing once again. And let's face it, our lawns can grow fast.

Before you know it, the first mowing of the season is underway. And that pattern will continue throughout the entire season.

With that said some homeowners and businesses might want to get a jump start on maintenance and will start treating their lawns as early as late February and early March. However, it might be wise to rethink that.

Weed Maintenance

Weeds, such as dandelions, tend to be one of the biggest battles between lawn and homeowner (or business owner). That's especially true for those who wish to have a lush, green lawn.

Usually, one of the ways this is controlled is through chemicals sprayed onto the lawn. But those chemicals may control more than just weeds.

It's also not uncommon to spray to help prevent unwanted insects from entering or living in the lawn. Late winter and early spring are especially a popular time to begin this activity.

More Harm?

One of the problems with beginning this task too soon in the season is two-fold. For one, some beneficial insects might still be hibernating just below the surface and may be harmed by such chemicals.

Later in the season is a different story. Once those insects and critters awake from winter hibernation, that risk of harm becomes less.

Among those insects can be honeybees, which have been struggling with populations as of late. Even though they don't fully hibernate in winter, they may end up burrowing into your lawn.

And if they happen to be present when chemicals such as pesticides are introduced, it could spell big trouble for them. Many pesticides used for weed control are toxic to them.

Bees Need The Weeds

Honeybees, along with other pollinators, rely on dandelions early on in the season. Up until more flowers open up later in the season, dandelions are critical.

As mentioned above, the honeybee population has been struggling in recent years, and we should be doing everything we can to help them thrive.

It's important that honeybees have a food source when they first emerge for the season. Yes, they may not fully hibernate in winter, but they do slow down significantly during the colder months and don't really have a food source during that time.

Unfortunately, removing dandelions from your lawn won't help the situation. Bees and other important pollinators will need that early-season food source well before other spring flowers begin to bloom.

Hold Up

Dandelions help fill that gap by providing an early energy source for them. Without that, it becomes that much harder to survive very early in the season.

Because of the importance dandelions have when it comes to healthy bee populations, it might be wise to hold up on spraying until later on in the spring. At least, until most other flowers open for the season.

Spraying even before spring arrives may risk the health of bees and early food sources. And honeybees in particular are very important to agriculture in New Jersey.

For those who let dandelions grow in their yards, just know your lawn may have more honeybees than others, which is OK. But if you do decide to spray, please hold up for now until we're well into spring.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.