After a long winter, everyone is anxious to get out into the yard and clean up the ‘mess.’
But take a minute and ask yourself who might be living among last year’s dead leaves and dried out stems?
Many species of bees lay their eggs in the hollow stems of plants and flowers. These eggs will hatch out once the temperature is warm enough. The rule of thumb is that you should not clean up your yard until the outdoor temperature reaches 10 C for 10 days in a row.
If you can't resist the urge to spring clean, just pile the debris in the corner of your yard so the beneficial insect eggs can still hatch and remain in your yard. Be aware that the majority of native bees make their nests in the ground, so don’t go digging up all the earth before they have a chance to emerge or you may be destroying their homes.
Insect larvae are the main source of food for baby birds who cannot eat seeds. According to a study from the University of Delaware, a nest of chickadees can require up to 9,000 caterpillars to raise a single clutch! Lepidoptera life cycle (butterfly or moth) begins as it lays thousands of eggs on the leaves of the host plant. When the caterpillars hatch, they eat the leaves of the host plant and grow fat, at this stage they become prime food for birds.
Many caterpillars still survive, and form a pupa or chrysalis that they attach to the underside of a branch or among the fallen leaves over winter. In the spring they emerge as adult butterflies or moths to start the cycle again.
Think of your garden as a community with each member having a task to do. Trees provide shade, leaves, food and nesting sites for birds and pollinators. Their roots protect soil from erosion, and the fallen leaves serve as a home to many insects and microorganisms who break down the leaves into compost. Shrubs provide protection from predators and the woody stems are used for bee and insect nests.
Northern highbush blueberry and prairie willow support over 250 species of wildlife that feed upon their leaves, flower nectar, pollen, berries, and seeds. Native sunflowers, milkweed, black eyed Susan, green-headed coneflower and goldenrod are prolific pollen providers and support upward of 100 insect species and 50 varieties of bees. In comparison, imported flowers like daylilies and hostas support zero native pollinators!
Use a variety of colourful native flowers to bring beauty to your garden and make sure you have something blooming throughout the entire growing season for a continuous nectar supply for the bees. Think of your garden in terms of a complete ecosystem where plants and wildlife are interdependent.
Sandra Ozkur is a certified pollinator steward from the international Pollinator Partnership Organization. She can be reached at [email protected]
