10/25/2026
SUNDAYS WITH SUE: We have brought beneficial insects, including pollinators, to our gardens with flowering plants through spring, summer, and fall. Now, we must consider their overwintering needs of shelter and nesting areas so they may emerge in spring to begin all sorts of life processes, like foraging, mating, pollinating our early fruit trees, laying eggs, predating undesired pests, or even becoming food themselves for nesting birds, amphibians, reptiles, and other animals.
With two oak trees in the front yard, fallen oak leaves are a protective haven we depend on for all kinds of insect larva and for nesting areas in the soil below them. Larva of butterflies, moths, and other insects becomes a soft digestible food for baby birds in the nesting season. Other overwintering animals like snails, worms, and spiders that live in the leaves become food for foraging birds, frogs, lizards, and more. Bumblebees use the protection of leaves to cover their nests in shallow soil.
Several years ago, we used our leaf chipper to chop up leaves and return to the soil around our plants. Learning that the practice of chipping destroys many of the creatures living within, we try to disperse whole leaves in areas around trees and shrubs. The challenge is that we do not infringe on neighbors’ yards with leaves that blow there. With that in mind, a great portion of the leaves are delivered to the backyard.
Leaves are an excellent mulch for w**d suppression and moisture and temperature regulation of the soil and plants. The cover, the leaves provide, protect soil microbes as they aid in decomposition which promotes richness in the soil. We try to keep leaves free of the paths to prevent slipping on and away from the house for Firewise considerations. Because of the diverse populations of insects in leaf mulch, we do not spread it on our veggie beds.
On the perimeters of our yard, we leave areas of bare soil for ground nesting native bees. Hollow flower stems left over the winter can also house hibernating native bees (when pruning, leave a stubble of 8-24” of varying heights). Later, after they emerge from cocoons in spring, they will build cells with mud walls in between (condos!), where they can lay eggs next to balls of gathered pollen that will be food for the next stages of their lives (amazing!).
Rock, log, and brush piles can be a shelter to a myriad of wildlife, including these same cavity-nesting bees, tree frogs, woodpeckers, and lizards. Engaging youth to help make a brush pile using small branches, logs, even rocks, as a base, and filling in with softer material (like leaf litter!) is a great activity to bring them closer to nature.
Other measures we can take in fall are to plant different types of native plants, including grasses, which can be homes to our specialist bees, butterflies, skippers, beetles, and other insects, plant wildflowers that will be nectar and pollen sources for early emerging bees and other insects in spring, and place shallow dishes of water with landing places like stones around our landscape (yes, the list gets long - that’s why we rely on natural sources!)
If protecting insects and their larva seems inconsequential, consider that they are few of many, in the web of life, where one part of an ecosystem is dependent on another for their survival. Neighbor’s yards can be part of the ecosystem (thank goodness for our next door neighbor’s Chondropetalum, Juncus, and Ribes!). Our neighbors across the street help support the effort with lots of flowering perennials. Take note of whats around you!
With the lovely weather of Fall upon us, I wish you a great week! I will attach a more detailed document by the Xerces Society in the first comment box.
“Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar." Delia Owens, author, Where the Crawdads Sing
