Use the leaves, leave the leaves, or rake to curb?

Leaving the leaves in your yard can help pollinators survive the winter. The caterpillar of the great spangled fritillary tucks itself into a pile of leaves for protection from cold weather and predators. Mated queen bumble bees burrow into the soil and an extra layer of leaves helps them survive the winter. Fritillary photo courtesy David Cappaert, Bugwood.org; other photos by Connie Oswald Stofko by Connie Oswald Stofko Where do our pollinators go in the winter? A lot of them…