While fallen leaves may be beautiful and fun to play in, they can also cause hazards in your yard. Anything from making you slip and fall on the sidewalk, driveway, or grass to finding scary surprises hiding in your leaves. We’re talking insects, critters, and pests. Oh my! And let’s not forget that leftover dried-up leaves can cause severe damage, like fires around your home, if left unraked in your yard or driveway.
So, now that we have your attention, let’s discuss why these reasons mean you should rake your yard NOW or hire a professional to clean up your leaves today!
Why should you rake your leaves in the Fall?
While fallen, dead leaves will eventually break down; that process can take weeks or even months. It’s best to tackle this problem mid-autumn when most or all leaves have already fallen. The leaves covering your lawn block sunlight, which, you probably know, isn’t good for your lawn. It’s best to rake and remove the leaves from your property or hire a yard cleanup service (like Stoney Acres) in the fall.
What could be hiding in your leaves?
Pests love to hide in fallen leaves, especially in the fall and early spring when they seek shelter from the cold air. The most common problems will be your typical beetles, caterpillars, ants, roaches, and other bugs. However, harmful bugs like termites and ticks will also find comfort in your leaf piles and begin to call them home. Leaves can even hold water that mosquitoes need to reproduce, and they do so in large numbers.
Common bugs that hide in your leaf piles:
- -Ticks
- -Termites
- -Ants
- -Caterpillars
- -Inch Worms
- -Cockroaches
- -Beetles
- -Stinkbugs
- -Cutworms
The more minor pests aren’t the only thing to look for this fall! Spiders, centipedes, mice, and even snakes hunt for food before winter, so they will go wherever these little insects hide. These and other critters will live in the leaf piles until the weather becomes too cold outside, but then they’ll look for a warm place to take shelter. And don’t be surprised if that more hospitable place they take refuge in is your home!
Pests that thrive in and under leaves around your home:
- -Spiders
- -Mice
- -Centipedes
- -Millipedes
- -Snakes
What else can not raking your leaves do?
Lastly, while leaves typically decay back into the soil, that doesn’t happen overnight. If the leaves sit outside and dry out for a long enough period without rain, they become an excellent source of kindling to start a fire. Therefore, if you leave piles of leaves around your house or driveway, it can easily start a fire that will affect your home and cause some serious damage.
Fall cleaning and maintenance can be a big job!
Need a helping hand for those pesky cleanup tasks?
Look no further! We are here to help! Call us today for a FREE quote! 925-6826