Brush pile
Build a brush pile
Don't throw it away! Don't chip it! Don't burn it! Do what lovers of backyard wildlife do - throw limbs, branches, twigs and brush in a pile and ignore it.
- Escape routes for animals being pursued by predators.
- Shelter from storms.
- Birds and dragonflies will perch on the tips of branches. Insects and lizards will sun themselves on outer surfaces.
- Birds, squirrels, opossums, toads, snakes and others will scour it for the insects that inevitably take up residence.
- Butterflies may spend the night, tucked into crevices, or even hibernate there over winter.
- Opossums, raccoons, others may use it for dens.
- On a hillside, it helps hold soil in place.
Welcome Wildlife - create a backyard wildlife habitat
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
Dig it - November tips from the
Secret Gardener
It is very easy to provide winter homes for wildlife in your garden - simply creating a log pile can benefit many creatures including moths.
A small pile of logs with the bark still attached can support many species of invertebrates, mosses and fungi, as well as providing food and shelter for birds, amphibians and small mammals.
There are several moths which can benefit from the presence of log piles in your garden.
Butterfly Conservation