Leaf Some Space for Pollinators This Spring!
Spring clean-up is about to begin across Canada, and gardeners are itching to get out there and prepare their gardens for another season.
But wait! There are good reasons to put off that chore just a little longer, or at least be gentle when you clean up the yard. Pollinators are just waking up from hibernation, and they still need a little time to get active after their long sleeps.
About 75% of Canada's native bees live in small holes under the ground (e.g. bumble bees, mining bees, squash bees, etc) , and they can be harmed by digging, tilling, and excessive mulching especially in early spring.
The other 25% mostly live in hollow cavities of wood, such as old branches, hollow plant stems, and raspberry canes. They're probably nesting there in the remnants of your last year's garden, and all they need is a little time to emerge so they can find food and become active and useful pollinators.
Do you like butterflies? Their babies are probably living in last year's garden litter too, and they need that shelter during the last of the spring frosts. They surely won't survive a good raking.
That's why pollinator protectors advise that you put off your garden clean-up just a little longer, until the really cold weather is done, and the warmer days of late April or May give the pollinators a chance to fully awaken, feed on the first spring flowers, and get back to their regular jobs of taking care of your garden with you.
Here's a great article from our friends at Xerces. Happy Spring!
https://xerces.org/blog/dont-spring-into-garden-cleanup-too-soon
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