Do you want to see an abundance of pollinators, butterflies, and other wildlife in your garden this year? Then don't start cleaning up those garden beds just yet! ?? It is important to give our insect friends the protection they need from those occasional drops in temperature that happen in the spring. Just like you would wait to put tender plants in the ground because the risk of freeze, it is important we provide shelter for insects until temperatures are reliably above 50 degrees. Here are some general tips on what to do and what not to do just yet! ?? If you cut back dead flower stalks, leave stem stubble at at least 8-24in tall on last years plants. these provide habitat for bee larvae. toss cut stems and debris in a compost or brush pile to provide habitat. ?? leave leaves and other brush undisturbed until temps are reliably above 50 to give insects time to emerge. Even still, if leaves must be cleared from certain areas, use them to mulch flower beds, add to leaf, debris, or compost piles. they provide important cover habitat for many moth and caterpillar species whose larvae use the leaf litter. ??use spring and fall to plant plenty of native plant species to provide food for native insects that will bloom at all times of the year that pollinators are active. ?? leave patches of dirt and garden beds undisturbed until temps rise, as many larvae species (cicadas, fireflies, and more) survive underground and within root systems of plants. ?? consider waiting, or delaying mowing, particularly in certain areas of the yard to provide refuge. Read the in-depth guide with The Xerces Society: https://lnkd.in/dbTqJp5H ??: NALT Conservation Biologist, Sara Johnson
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