Leaf Shelter
Brush and Leaf Shelter
Placing a wildlife brush shelter on your property can add an interesting and important element to your backyard habitat, attracting a wide variety of wildlife that may have been missing. Providing dense, heavy and secure shelter close to the ground can attract many animals that may not feel comfortable in even the most colorful butterfly garden or thoroughly landscaped yard.
Many butterfly and moth species overwinter as pupae in leaf litter. If you rake up and throw away all of your leaves each fall, you'll be getting rid of these beneficial insects too. Remember, butterfly and moth caterpillars are a critically important food source for birds in the spring when they are feeding their babies. If you remove of all the pupae with your leaves in the fall, there will be fewer of these insects in and around your yard in in spring.
The National Wildlife Federation