News you can use - raking leaves

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In a word - don't. From Seattle station KING-5:

Don't rake your leaves, scientists say
Here's an excuse to use the next time someone asks you to rake the leaves: science.

The National Wildlife Federation is encouraging people to leave the leaves.

On its website, the NWF says dry, dead leaves are important habitats for all kinds of critters.

Butterflies, salamanders, chipmunks, box turtles, toads, shrews, earthworms, and other creatures live, lay eggs in or eat from leaves, according to NWF's plea with the public to let the leaves stay where gravity left them.

"I care about the life cycle of all the insects that live in my yard," said Sarah Moore of the Pacific Science Center's indoor butterfly garden. "I want to be a habitat."

Butterflies begin in leaves as larvae. Moore says she never rakes her leaves at home.

Another scientist at the University of Washington Arboretum says he rarely rakes.

"It changes the habitat," said Randall Hitchin, who showed us all the insects that live in a pile of leaves. "It makes it unfriendly for them."

The only issue is that some tree diseases also flourish in the leaf litter. Anthracnose is a real biggie up here with our wet springs. We have a couple of cherry trees that have it bad - planning to treat this spring with Bordeaux mixture. Turns the trees smurf blue-green.

 

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This page contains a single entry by DaveH published on November 21, 2014 11:45 AM.

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