Be sure to bear bugs in mind this fall

By Lethbridge Herald on September 10, 2025.

Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald

How clean should a yard be after the annual ritual of doing an autumn yard cleanup?

Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge, says it’s important to consider the impact on small creatures as well as  trees when tackling the job.

“Some of the biggest things are not cleaning everything up in the fall. That includes things like leaving some of the leaves,  particularly if you have garden beds and that kind of thing – leaving the leaves will not only provide habitat for insects like ladybugs and  bumblebees but it also helps hold the moisture in the soil and it protects your plants over the winter, said Sheppard in an interview  this week.

Sheppard also suggests people with perennials shouldn’t cut them back because they are an important food source for birds and insects.

In early spring, people will be surprised when they stir leaves around how many ladybugs are hiding, she says.

“It’s really important for some of those bugs” to let some material stay, she adds.

If people are compelled to cut down shrubs, even leaving some of it piled on the ground leaves some shelter, she says.

With climate change, autumns are getting longer with temperatures remaining warm until November so birds aren’t migrating as early  anymore which means having food and shelter is important, she adds.

People who leave water out for birds and insects can continue to do so until freezing temperatures hit, she says.

And with this time of year when mice start looking for refuge, Sheppard notes that mice can squeeze into holes smaller than people  would expect.

She recommends checking window screens and foundations for holes and filling potential entries with expanding foam.

Sheppard also recommends leaving lawns higher when mowing so more  moisture is kept in the ground while also providing more habitat. And fall is a good time to deep-water trees so they have a good reservoir  to survive winter, she says.

The Ecological Landscape Alliance recommends mulching leaves with the lawn mower to increase organic matter in the soil. Leaves will also increase the moisture holding capacity of soil while reducing weeds and insulating perennials, it says.

The Old Farmers Almanac notes that many perennials can be an important food source for seed-eating birds in winter so gardeners should let  seed heads ripen until they turn brown and split open to self-sow.

The Almanac also recommends planting spring-flowering bulbs to provide nectar for early pollinators such as bees. Those bulbs include  daffodils, crocuses and grape hyacinths. If deer are a problem in a neighbourhood, the Almanac says to avoid planting tulips.