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topicnews · October 6, 2024

Are you leaving piles of leaves on your lawn? Here’s what might live inside them.

Are you leaving piles of leaves on your lawn? Here’s what might live inside them.

Spiders, ticks, millipedes, snakes, salamanders and rodents are among the many creatures that can thrive in leaf piles. However, that’s not always a bad thing.

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To rake or not to rake? The debate over what to do with the leaves that accumulate on your lawn rages on every fall, with lawn care enthusiasts and environmentalists alike weighing in on the pros and cons of each issue.

While there are environmental benefits to leaving your lawn natural, such as: Like limiting greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and fertilizing the soil, there’s a big downside for those who don’t like creepy crawlies all that much – what’s hidden in those piles.

Still debating whether it’s better to abandon your lawn or commit to complete leaf destruction? Here’s what you should know about some of the things that may be hanging around in this pile.

Calculation debate: Should I rake my leaves this fall? Experts say that’s not always a good idea. Here’s why.

Beetles, spiders and millipedes, oh my

The piles of leaves on your lawn can provide perfect cover for the creepy crawlies if they pile up high enough. Many of these insects seek out the best homes in preparation for winter and the dark, moist, warm and food-rich heaps are the perfect place for many different species.

The most common include ants, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, pillbugs, earwigs, spiders and ticks, according to Big Lakes Lawncare, Modern Pest Services and Penn State’s Department of Entomology. While some are not only scary but also harmless or even helpful, such as centipedes, there are others that are best avoided, such as disease-carrying ticks.

However, according to National Geographic, leaving a few leaves on your lawn can help create an environment that enables important cycles in our ecosystem.

Other wildlife such as rodents and snakes

Some other types of wildlife, generally considered undesirable, tend to hang out in your leaves. These can include snakes, salamanders, box turtles, toads and rodents.

Attracted by the shelter and warmth that the poles provide, but also by the potential food source of the smaller critters that live within them, these critters may not be the average homeowner’s favorite inhabitants, but in turn can play an important role in maintaining the local ecosystem, he says the Loudon Wildlife Society and the National Wildlife Federation.

If you can, it is beneficial to leave some leaves for some of these species such as the box turtle and salamander. However, no one wants rodents that can carry diseases invading their homes. So if you decide to go easy on raking, think about making sure any piles or thicker coverings are further away from your home.

Mold and fungi

Dark, damp, not often disturbed – a nice, thick pile of leaves makes perfect sense as an ideal place for mold and fungi to grow.

According to Big Lakes Lawncare, moist leaf piles in colder environments can attract Microdochium nivale and Typhula incarnate, two species of fungi that cause snow mold. Snow mold is a fungal lawn disease that damages and kills grass, often forming pink or gray circles or spots. Not only is it unpleasant to look at, but it can also trigger allergies and asthma.

Other unwanted fungi that can lurk under piles of leaves include the fungus Rhizoctonia leguminicola, which turns grass brown, or red thread, a lawn disease caused by Laetisaria fuciformis, Homes and Gardens reports.

One of the best ways to avoid all of this? Don’t allow wet piles of leaves to build up and sit on your lawn for long periods of time.

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