'Leave The Leaves' An Option During Fall Cleanup In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — While Doylestown Borough offers free leaf collection services, it is offering property owners another option for handling their fall leaves.

"Leave the Leaves" is an initiative that supports pollinators and other invertebrates who use fallen leaves for food and shelter in the winter.

Subscribe

When fall arrives, many grab a rake and bag up fallen leaves without thinking twice. But did you know that those crunchy piles are more than yard waste? They're also winter homes for pollinators, according to the U.S. Park Service.

For many insects, leaf litter acts like a cozy blanket, the park service said. It insulates against cold and moisture, giving them a safe place to survive the winter. Bees, butterflies, and moths all take shelter in ways one might not expect:

Bees in the ground: Many bumble bees, sweat bees, and mining bees dig down into soil and rely on leaf cover for insulation.

Bees in stems: Most small carpenter bees, mason bees, and leafcutter bees nest inside hollow or pithy plant stems, sometimes sealing themselves in until spring.

Butterflies and moths: Many species overwinter as chrysalises, cocoons, caterpillars or eggs tucked among leaves, stems, or twigs, quietly waiting until warmer days.

What you can do

Leave the leaves: Instead of bagging them up, let them stay as overwintering habitat for pollinators.

Or move them just a bit: You don't have to leave the leaves where they fall to help pollinators. You can do a little clean up and move the leaves to garden beds or around tree bases.

Rake or blow. Don't shred: Instead of using your mower to collect and shred leaves, use a rake or a blower and keep the leaves intact. This provides better habitat for pollinators and keeps you from accidentally destroying eggs, caterpillars, and cocoons already on or within the leaves. Leaf-eating bugs will help by eating and breaking up leaves as they decompose.

Skip the yard "cleanup": Hollow stems and twigs might be hiding sleeping bees. Instead of disposing or burning pieces of wood, create a brush pile for pollinators! Looking for a "clean" look? You can hide the pile behind existing landscaping or use the larger pieces as borders to define the edges of your planters!

Think small: Even leaving just a corner of your yard untouched can make a big difference for pollinators.

Wait for spring: You're not procrastinating, you're helping pollinators! Instead of cutting back plants and cleaning up your yard in the fall, wait until spring is underway. This will give pollinators a winter home and allow them to emerge before your spring cleaning.

To find more information about the benefits of leaving your leaves, click this link: xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves

Source: U.S. Park Service