Here is Why You Shouldn’t Mow Leaves in the Fall

Look, mulching leaves into the lawn is much better than simply removing them. But did you know that leaves can actually provide a habitat for certain species of moths, fireflies, and butterflies? By mowing or removing these leaves in the fall, we are destroying large swaths of these natural habitats. This sort of habitat destruction has caused a great reduction in the population of these vital insects. 

How to protect insects in your lawn?

In the fall it is important that you leave some leaves to provide cover for the developing insects to overwinter. By removing all the leaves from our lawns and gardens, we strip insects of their ability to find protection in the winter. This can lead to them freezing to death or possibly just getting eaten by critters and birds. 

Why should you protect your local insects?

Look, our local pollinators are getting decimated at an alarming rate. And one of the reasons that they are so threatened is the lack of habitat, which they have access to. By simply leaving some leaves on the edges of the lawn and in the garden beds, we can begin to re-establish themselves in our landscapes. These insects will eventually get to re-establish themselves in the landscape. 

When should I remove leaves from my lawn?

The best time to remove leaves from the lawn is the spring when the larvae have had time to properly develop. When spring arrives, the insects will emerge from their developmental stage. And these insects will have the wherewithal to make their own way in the big world. 

As you can see, by leaving the leaves a few more months. We can help natural bugs to re-establish themselves in our habitats. This will allow them the ability to recover from decades of population reduction and the destruction of their natural habitats. At the end of the day, it doesn’t take much to help protect our local insect populations. They are all too valuable to our ecosystems.

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