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**Correction: The study described in this episode states that the total number of insects emerging from a square meter was 18,000. The correct number is 1,800.

Leave the leaves has become something of a rallying cry and discussion topic in recent years. When the weather starts to cool and leaves begin to fall, we’re presented with a valuable wildlife and gardening resource — but also something of a headache. Do I keep them all? Can I mulch them? Won’t they kill my lawn? What about pests? How do I keep my HOA happy?

Joining us to take a deeper dive into a pile of leaves, how they help insects, and how to manage them is Max Ferlauto, state entomologist with the Maryland Natural Heritage Program, where he is in charge of rare insect conservation. Before that, Max was undertaking research for his PhD at the University of Maryland, where he studied the impact of leaves (and leaf removal) on insects in gardens as well as on soil health.

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Photo: Steven Severinghaus/Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.