Why you shouldn’t rake your leaves this autumn

The temperatures will drop and the leaves will fall. They always do.

Before you pull out the rake, however, consider this: Just leave the leaves where they fall.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, fallen leaves create their own mini-ecosystem.

“Many wildlife species live in the leaf layer as their primary habitat — including salamanders, chipmunks, wood frogs, box turtles, toads, shrews, earthworms, millipedes and many insects species,” David Mizejewski wrote on the federation’s blog.

Some creatures use fallen leaves to survive the winter. Luna moths, great spangled fritillaries and woolly bear caterpillars (which become Isabella tiger moths) spend the colder months in leaf layers — some as eggs, some as pupae and some as adults.

“If you rake up and throw away all of your leaves this fall, you’ll be getting rid of these beautiful and beneficial insects, many of which are pollinators,” Mizejewski wrote.

These insects are also a food source for birds feeding their young in the spring.

Beyond helping those creatures, you can help the environment and yourself by not bagging up the leaves and sending them to a landfill.

Yard wastes, including leaves and grass clippings, account for nearly a fifth (more than 31 million tons) of all garbage generated in the United States each year, making it the second largest component...