WELCOME TO THE 2023 MCLP COMMITTEE
CHAIR & EXAM ADMINISTRATOR
Katie Merrifield , MCLP Merrifield Garden & Design • Natick , MA
COMMITTEE
PAST CHAIR
Mike Landry , MCLP Riverside Services , Inc . • Southborough , MA
John Kwasek , MCLP John Anthony ’ s Landscaping • Roslindale , MA
We are looking for more volunteers for the MCLP Committee ! Interested ? Contact Carrie at the MLP Office !
Congratulations to Paul Ferrin , mclp who earned his MCLP credential at the November exam . Well done , Paul !
Leave the Leaves :
Save the Moths , Save Your Back , Save the Ticks ?
By Blake Dinius , Entomologist , Plymouth County Extension
One of the best things you can do to support a bevy of bugs is to “ leave the leaves .” Leaves provide natural insulation for overwintering bees , fireflies , butterflies , and moths . Fallen plant matter will slowly break down and improve soil quality . “ Leaving the leaves ” will also save you money , time , and your back . This all sounds like a win-win . But there is another organism that benefits from a yard full of leaves : deer ticks . Like other native organisms , deer ticks are well-adapted to New England . They take full advantage of the natural cycles that play out around us .
Leaves protect deer ticks and allow them to thrive during the cold winter season . Any time temperatures are above 32˚F , there can be tick activity . Deer ticks are highly susceptible to desiccation . In fact , they need ~ 82 % humidity or higher . Fall and winter ambient air temperatures are far too dry for ticks live very long . However , under the moist microclimate leaves provide , ticks can recover moisture ad libitum . Leaves also provide insulation for deer ticks during the winter . They can survive below freezing temperatures to some extent . However , they eventually succumb and perish if temperatures drop too low . A blanket of leaves will buffer low swings in temperatures and protect deer ticks .
To be clear , I ’ m not against “ leaving the leaves .” As mentioned above , there are many good reasons to do so . The message here is that when we do , yards become more hospitable to ticks . It ’ s an important detail left out of many conservation messages . If we decide to “ leave the leaves ,” then we need to be educated and aware . There are benefits , but there are also risks . Every time we ( and our pets ) traverse over fallen leaves , we face the risk of encountering ticks . A leaf-free yard is a hostile environment for deer ticks . You may still find some , but your chances will be much lower than a yard covered in leaves .
Take heed around edges bordering woodlands , as these are high risk locations even without the leaves . Piling of leaves in these locations will only enhance that risk . We may not cross these areas often , but our pets often do . You can compromise . Clean up heavily used locations but “ leave the leaves ” everywhere else .
As for me , I ’ m a conservationist and a giant bug nerd . I ’ ll be leaving the leaves this fall and focusing on personal protection . Repellents , permethrin-treated clothing , and tick checks are already part of my toolbox and have kept me Lyme-free my whole life .
Hort Notes 2022 Vol . 33:8
MLP Newsline | Winter 2022 13