Despite today’s snow, forecasters say much warmer weather in the 50s and 60s should return tomorrow, and one expert says Iowans need to resist the urge to rake up the winter’s accumulation of leaves that clutter our yards and fence lines.
Boone entomologist Ginny Mitchell says those piles of dead leaves are full of living creatures.
“There are lots of animals, insects, mice, ground squirrels, all sorts of little critters that live in that leaf litter,” Mitchell says. “I think it’s vital that we leave our leaves until well after Mother’s Day as a good rule of thumb.”
The first day of spring is March 20th, and while some green tulip and daffodil shoots may already be poking out of the dirt, Mitchell says we should really wait until it’s much warmer before tackling those piles of brown leaves.
“There are many, many, many species of insects that overwinter as either adults or pupa,” Mitchell says, “which is like when you think about a butterfly, it goes egg, larva, pupa, adult, so they’re overwintering in those leaf piles so that they can emerge as an adult in the spring.”
With temperatures in the 60s and 70s earlier this week, Mitchell admits she decided to address a particularly unsightly pile of dead leaves in her yard.
“I cleaned that pile up, however, I just moved it out of the way. I didn’t burn it. I didn’t put it in bags,” she says. “I moved it into a more convenient space so anything that was living in there could stay living in there.”
Not only are those piles home to critical pollinators, but leaves are a nutrient-dense natural fertilizer that helps to build healthy soil that holds moisture.