Those same leaves could even attract unwanted pests like mice and rats! Luckily, there are a few environmentally friendly solutions to your leaf problem that don't include bagging up leaves or leaving them on the ground.
Rodents – Mice and rats also find leaf piles to be attractive areas to find food and shelter. That is because they like dark, quiet places, with access to lots of nesting materials. As chronic nibblers, they love gnawing on twigs.
Leaving leaves on your lawn can block sunlight and trap moisture, potentially leading to grass damage. It's best to remove them to keep your lawn healthy.
Another thing is it prevents light and causes bacteria to grow, in wet weather it will collect the water under the leaves and begin to decompose, that will in turn breed many microbes and bacteria, some are important for plant growth, others are deadly to humans and pets, especially black mold.
Decaying leaves produce a source of food, cover, darkness, and even moisture for beetles to enjoy. If other shelter seems scarce, your leaf pile could end up harboring a lot of beetles. So many, in fact, that some will have to find somewhere else to feed and hibernate--like your house.
Excessive leaf matter on your lawn going into winter is bad for several reasons. First, it will smother the grass and if not removed very soon in the spring it will inhibit growth. Second, it can promote the snow mold diseases. And finally, turf damage from critters (voles, mice) can be more extensive in the spring.
Roaches: Although they're thought of as hardy survivors, cockroaches seek shelter when the mercury falls. Like beetles, they use warm moist leaves as cover until they find a more viable location to overwinter. If those leaves are too close to your home, it's highly likely they will find their way inside.
Many places have made it illegal to rake your leaves into the street. Leaves and other vegetation or debris swept into the street create an unsightly, soggy mess. But even more importantly, raking leaves into the street can block storm drains, which can result in flooding.
"If you just leave the leaves on the grass, it will exclude light. And then the grass won't be able to photosynthesize. Eventually, it would die under a thick layer of leaves," Barton said. Rake excess leaves into a landscape bed and it will turn into mulch.
Fallen leaves provide habitat for animals
As temperatures drop, fallen leaves and the soil underneath offer crucial habitat for all kinds of creatures, including salamanders, frogs and rodents. Shepherd noted that this shelter is especially important for the smallest animals, mainly insects and other invertebrates.
However, there's good news. A study done at Michigan State University shows that you can forget about raking, blowing, and bagging leaves. Instead, just mulch them with your lawn mower and feed your lawn with a nitrogen-rich lawn fertilizer like Scotts® Turf Builder® Winterguard® Fall Lawn Food.
Yard Debris
Grass clippings, branch and compost piles, overgrown bushes and raked leaves are all open invitations for them. Not only will dealing with these minimize the number of mosquitoes, but your lawn will look even better than it already does!
Compost them
If you have a designated compost pile, dead leaves are a great addition to the mix. Again, they'll decompose faster if you shred them first. “The leaves, combined with other materials, can create a wonderful compost pile that you can then use in your flower beds or gardens come springtime,” says Engledow.
Backyards and even front lawns attract rodents because of the abundance of food sources. These destructive pests are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can find, including: Fallen fruits. Birdseed.
Cat, dog, or human hair or urine sprinkled in a garden also appears to have no impact on rats. Beware of anyone claiming they have a secret weapon or chemical that will get rid of rats.
Peppermint oil — Essential plant oils like peppermint, rosemary, citronella, sage and lavender have strong botanical scents that rats dislike. One customer successfully repelled a rat by stuffing a peppermint oil soaked tissue into the rat hole chewed into the wall. The rat appeared to never come back.
Here are some reasons why you might want to leave fall leaves lying around: Natural fertilization: Fallen leaves decompose and become humus, which fertilizes the soil. Winter protection for plants: Fall foliage provides an insulating layer that protects plants from frost.
Local ordinances may apply: Some cities and neighborhood HOAs have rules about removing leaves for the sake of tidiness. In this case, you should plan to rake your yard, or you could potentially face a fine.
If temperatures stay warm well into winter, the tree never starts making abscission cells. That means that the scissor mechanism isn't developed in the leaves. Rather than dropping with a cold snap, they simply hang on the tree until they die. Excess nitrogen fertilizer can have the same result.
If you feel compelled to remove the leaves, instead of raking, wait until they're good and crunchy (ripe for jumping into), and then mow the leaves into little pieces. Then you can just leave them! The leaves will serve as mulch and can protect the soil around your trees, shrubs, or garden.
Many cities have enacted municipal codes that prevent property owners from blowing leaves into the right-of-way. The action is considered illegal dumping and can carry fines up to $500 and/or six months of imprisonment, depending on the locale.
However, in addition to being illegal in many areas, leaf burning leads to air pollution and is a health and fire hazard. The smoke from burning leaves contains a number of toxic and/or irritating particles and gases.
Fallen leaves are a pest wonderland. All kinds of pests and rodents feed on them, and they're usually a great source of moisture and shelter too. Keeping piles or bags of leaves around your home will just attract more unwanted critters, so when you rake, remove the bags of foliage from your home's property.
Some strong scents, such as lavender and mint, have been known to repel cockroaches.
The fallen branches, leaves, and parts of foliage touching your home creates a pathway for termites to migrate from their home to your home. To avoid this, make sure to remove any fallen branches, leaves, and wooden debris.