10/24/2026
Rake the lawn, leave the beds.
Most butterflies, moths, and native bees don't fly south. They spend the winter right in your yard, tucked into fallen leaves, hollow stems, and the top inch of soil. A tidy fall cleanup can throw a whole season of pollinators out with the trash.
Leaf look-alikes: Swallowtail chrysalises and luna moth cocoons resemble dead leaves. Raking can destroy them.
An inch underground: Fireflies and native bees overwinter in leaf litter or shallow burrows.
Hollow stems: Small carpenter, mason, and leafcutter bees nest in old plant stems. Leave them 8 to 24 inches tall.
Bumble bees: Fallen leaves shelter native bumble bees and ground-nesting insects—don’t shred them!
Familiar faces: Woolly bears and spring peepers also winter under that leaf layer.
