Leave the Lovely Leaf Litter
If you haven’t yet raked out those beds, consider letting nature's cycle continue in your garden. That leaf pile is teeming with life, as Stephanie writes on our blog. Katydids, Fritillary caterpillars, Ladybugs, and Lacewings are just some of the insects that overwinter in our yards.
The Cup Plant's Overwintering Residents
Wisconsin entomologist Andrew H. Williams collected and identified more than 20 species of insects and spiders overwintering in Silphium perfoliatum stems. Post from the St. Louis Wild Ones. Here is a more detailed report about overwintering fauna on Wisconsin prairie plants: Fauna Overwintering. Building biodiversity means allowing animals to complete their life cycles, and it can happen even in our own yards.
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