By Lou Ann Harris
If you care about our wild birds, you should also care about the insects they need to survive and thrive. One essential thing you can do to help insects is to leave the leaves in your yard this fall. Leaf litter provides winter habitat protection for many insects, like the familiar Wooly Bear caterpillar. Most insects overwinter right where they spent the summer. They count on fallen leaves and other organic debris to cover and insulate them from the elements. It’s really as simple as doing nothing.
TIP #1
If you don’t necessarily want leaves all over your yard, you can rake them into garden beds or under your trees. Too many leaves can kill the grass, but on soil they are great for suppressing weeds and retaining moisture. Avoid shredding or mulching the leaves. Leave them whole for the best cover.
TIP #2
Instead of pruning back the dead stems in your garden, leave them for the winter. The seed heads offer food for finches during late fall/early winter. The stems will also hollow out after die-off, and provide cavities for many of our native bees. A small brush pile is another way to provide winter habitat for insects and birds.
TIP #3
Next spring on the first warm day, it’s only natural to want to get outside and work in the garden. But if there is still a chance of freezing temperatures and snow, the pollinators won’t be ready to emerge yet and need cover. So instead of cleaning up the garden, take a walk and leave the garden to rest a while longer.
For more information on “Leave The Leaves: Winter Habitat Protection”, visit https://xerces.org/leave-the-leaves
Source: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
