Leave the Leaves!

Fall is when we prepare our gardens for winter. It’s also time to think about how and where the insects in our yards will spend the cooler months. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation reminds us to “Leave the Leaves!” An important place for invertebrates to cozy up for the winter is under a couple inches of leaves and other organic debris. Other overwintering habitat includes hollow stems, brush piles, dead trees and fallen logs. Before doing too much tidying-up, remember that a lovely, organic mess will support an abundance of pollinators next year, as well as insects for natural pest control, birds and other wildlife. For more information, see xerces.org/blog/leave-leaves-these-invertebrates-depend-on-it.