Our gardens are more than just places to grow plants — they are home habitats, where gardeners can provide a refuge for struggling wildlife to thrive. To explain how we can care for wildlife in our own yards, National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski returns to the podcast this week.
David holds a degree in human and natural ecology from Emory University and is an expert on wildlife and the environment. He’s dedicated to using his knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm to help others understand and protect wildlife. He hosted and co-produced “Backyard Habitat,” a television series on Animal Planet that showed people how to transform their yards and gardens into thriving habitats for birds and other wildlife. He’s also appeared in the Animal Planet miniseries “Springwatch U.S.A.” and on Nat Geo Wild in series such as “Are You Smarter Than…”, “How Human Are You?” and “Unlikely Animal Friends” and co-hosted the network’s prime-time television series “Pet Talk.”
David Mizejewski and I recently met up at the Atlanta Botanical Garden to record this episode in person.
Photo Credit: David Mizejewski
I first met David many years ago. He appeared on the third season of my public television show “Growing a Greener World” in 2012 for an episode on wildlife gardens. He’s also been a recurring guest on this podcast. For this episode, I spoke with David in-person, sitting on a bench at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
If there are three things he can impress upon listeners who want to support wild bird populations it’s these: Leave the leaves, plant native and don’t spray pesticides.
Do I Still Need to Leave the Leaves?
“The Leave the Leaves message is something that we’ve been talking about at the National Wildlife Federation for a really long time,” David says. “ In fact, I was going back through some old interviews, and I found a print article in a newspaper from 2003, I believe it was, where I was being interviewed about the value of that natural fallen leaf layer for wildlife. All sorts of species utilize that natural leaf layer that forms every year when the deciduous trees drop their leaves.”
Evergreens also drop their needles or broadleaves, just not all at once, he notes.
A whole host of wildlife, notably invertebrates, uses leaf litter.
“ Think about the earthworms and the isopods and all those little creepy crawlies that help basically form our soil by decomposing the leaves,” David says. ”But there’s also many pollinators that utilize that leaf layer. Many moth species, for example, overwinter underneath those fallen leaves. Bumblebee queens overwinter under those fallen leaves.”
Reptiles and amphibians likewise use leaves, both for habitat year-round and also to overwinter.
“Naturally, the time that we talk about this is in the fall when all those leaves are falling,” he says. He discourages people from raking up their leaves in fall, or worse, blowing those leaves into bags and throwing them in the landfill.
Now that it’s spring, one of his latest pet peeves is seeing all the bad information online that says now it’s safe to “do that spring cleaning and get rid of those leaves.”
The leaves are habitat year-round, with all sorts of wildlife using them, he points out.
“The other thing that I see pretty frequently is this idea that you have to wait until it’s 50° out, and then you can do that spring cleanup, and that is well-meaning advice. But I just don’t think it’s based on any real kind of sound science.”
The idea behind that, he explains, is that once the weather reaches about 50° many insects, particularly pollinators, will become active.
“I really don’t think that is based on a lot of science,” David says. “… Insects and notably pollinators, emerge at different times of the year. And that is part of the co-evolution story between native plants and native wildlife, that they co-evolved together.”
For example, spring ephemeral wildflowers pop out early in spring before the trees leaf out, when there’s still sunlight reaching the forest floor. The bees that pollinate them, such as mason bees, emerge in early spring.
“They go through their mating cycle, and they lay their eggs and they’re pretty much done by this point in the year. But a whole other batch of bee species are emerging now as spring is marching into summer. And so if you’re getting rid of those fallen leaves, if you’re cutting down all those perennial plant stems that you left standing through the winter, now you are wiping out, potentially, the next generation of those bees or at a minimum, you’re removing their nesting habitat.”
A gray hairstreak, a gossamer-winged butterfly, pictured in Virginia.
Photo Credit: Randy Streufert via NWF
The Problem with Bee Hotels
A few years ago, I found some really cute bee hotels. They just look really good in the garden and complement my barn. I never really intended to use them, but I set them outside before figuring out what I was going to do with them. But then the bees found the bee hotels without me even trying, and they have returned this year.
The other day, I was looking at them, and it was a madhouse of bees coming in and out. But then again, I started feeling guilty because the bee hotels are not clean.
But David says I shouldn’t beat myself up, and it’s not the end of the world.
“There’s good and bad models for these native bee sort of nesting houses, just like with birdhouses,” he notes. “There are good ones that are built to spec based on good ornithology and science and what’s going to actually help the birds. And then there are ones that are maybe more ornamental or just built by manufacturers that don’t know how to do it the right way, and they can be bad. They can actually kill birds.”
Before putting out artificial nesting habitat, just do a little bit of reading, he advises. Learn how these bee hotels are designed to accommodate native solitary bees that naturally nest in tunnels in decaying wood or perennial plant stems.
“Those bees will fill those tunnels with a series of little chambers,” David says. “In each one they lay an egg, they give it a little ball of pollen and nectar that that larva will feed on, and then it will pupate in that little chamber and then eventually emerge, oftentimes not until the next year.”
Though the bees are solitary by nature — they don’t live in hives — they will congregate in a bee hotel. Being unnaturally close makes it easy for diseases and parasites to spread between bees.
Best practices with bee hotels involve a lot of work, he says. It involves pulling the tubes and removing the cocoons and disinfecting them and then storing them properly at the right humidity, at the right temperature, and then putting them back out.
“Now, I don’t know about you, I love the bees. That’s too much work for me. I would much prefer to let Mother Nature do the work.”
He leaves some dead logs in his yard and perennial stems standing through the winter. And then come spring, he’ll cut stems back to anywhere between eight and 24 inches to provide a variety of heights.
“And that does two things. That makes the stem available to the bees, because it’s cut on the end, but it also provides different bee species — who prefer to nest at different heights and different stem sizes — a diversity of habitat. And also by cutting them down a little bit, it does help with the aesthetics. And then the new growth that’s coming out in full force at this time of year will quickly overgrow those dead standing stems. You won’t even see them. But they’ll be there for the bees to nest in. To me, that is so much easier than making the commitment to harvest bee cocoons. Because what you don’t want to happen is for that bee nesting box to become a sink, where all the bees lay their eggs in there, and then they all get eaten by woodpeckers, or they all get infested with mites, or they get wiped out by wasps.”
Many bee hotels have tubes that can’t be removed because they have been glued in place.
“Those are definitely the ones you wanna avoid, and unfortunately, those are the most common ones that I see,” David says.
Commercial bee houses put many bees in close proximity, which makes it easy for pathogens or pests to spread.
(Photo Credit: Amy Prentice)
Overcome Guilt
“It lifts me up when I am out in the world talking to people who have gained a little bit of information on how we can make the Earth a better place for ourselves and for our fellow species just by how we choose to garden and landscape,” David says. “And when people get into this, what happens is that they become so passionate, and they really do a deep dive, and they want to learn more about all the native plant species and how they can help the wildlife. But what I have found is that those of us who are passionate about causes also tend to harbor a lot of guilt. I’m just as bad as everyone else. I beat myself up all the time, and I have to remind myself, anything we do is good, and it counts, and we don’t have to be perfect. We don’t have to do everything all at once all of the time to make meaningful change.”
He says that burnout and compassion fatigue are real, and notes that there’s a lot of bad things going on in the world right now from wildlife population decline and pollution to habitat destruction.
David’s advice is to give yourself some grace. Do what you can do and feel good about it, and try to do more. But don’t harbor guilt about what you can’t do, about what’s not possible.
He’s reminded of the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
“It’s OK if you have to compost some of your leaves instead of leaving them whole for the wildlife. That’s so much better than throwing them in the landfill,” David assures me.
A longhorned bee visit an ironweed flower.
Photo Credit: Randy Streufert via NWF
Why Putting Leaves in a Landfill Is Bad for the Environment
The reason you don’t want to throw leaves in the landfill, David explains, is that organic material in a landfill gets buried underground. “There’s no oxygen down there. And it does break down, but in those anaerobic, oxygen-less conditions, it ends up producing methane, which is one of our most potent greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.”
In the U.S., our landfills are the third-largest source of methane pollution. Food waste is part of it, but the organic materials from leaves and yard waste is also a major contributor.
And yes, it’s food waste and things like that. That’s organic material contributing to that as well. Yard trimmings make up more than 35 million tons of landfill deposits annually.
“Me leaving my leaves in my yard is not going to solve that problem on its own, but when I do it and you do it and everybody listening does it, that is when it adds up,” David says. “So it’s the whole idea of think globally, act locally, and those small local actions can make a difference.”
Use Your Voice
“You have to use your voice, too,” David says. “You have to get out there and be an advocate. If we want to have big-scale change, oftentimes that does require regulation and policy and maybe even laws and all of that kind of thing. So you have to be an advocate. You can be a consumer advocate with where you spend your dollars. You can be a political advocate and use your voice. Let elected officials know, you want to see change. But you can also take personal action, and those actions are valid, and they do add up when we all do them.”
A ruby throated hummingbird sips nectar from a cardinal flower in North Carolina.
Photo Credit: Heather Russell via NWF
Fallen Leaves and Birds
David points out that fallen leaves are habitat for thousands, or maybe even millions, of different species of invertebrates.
“Ninety-six percent of our upland terrestrial birds — so all of our backyard birds, all of our urban birds, the birds that you are trying to attract to your yard or whatever garden space you’re in — 96% of them feed their babies a diet exclusively of insects and other invertebrates.”
Birds are foraging for insects in the leaf layer at this time of year and they also forage in native plants to capture caterpillars, which is the No. 1 group of insects that they feed their babies, he points out. “So fill your yard with native plants.”
Don’t Spray!
“Please do not spray pesticides,” David pleads.
Whether they’re insecticides or herbicides, they are poison, and even botanical-based ones that are less long-lasting in the environment are still killing non-target insects.
“They’re still killing our pollinators,” he says. “So don’t fall prey to the ‘green’ marketing.”
The product may be organic and botanical, but that doesn’t make it safe for pollinators and other beneficial insects and food for baby birds.
“If you’re spraying poisons to kill insects, it doesn’t matter if they’re synthetic or botanical-based. They’re still going to kill insects, and likely a bunch of non-target insects as well,” David says.
Companies claim they spray when bees are not active so therefore they don’t harm bees, but they only study non-native honeybees. They are not safe for native bees.
“ If you spray a bee with clove essential oil, it’s going to kill the bee,” David says. “Most of our native bees are not hive-forming. So they are actually hanging out in the vegetation during the day and the night.”
And anyone who says they can spray for mosquitoes without hurting other insects is just not telling the truth. There is no spray out there that can pick off mosquitoes and not hurt anything else.
A Certified Wildlife Habitat marker from the National Wildlife Federation.
Minimize Mosquito Populations and Bites in Non-toxic Ways
“ The key thing with controlling mosquitoes is you want to control them in the larval stage — the aquatic larval stage,” David says. “It’s way more effective and a million times less toxic than broadcast spraying these aerial insecticides. And this is based on the science. You’re going to kill mosquitoes if you spray stuff into the air, but it’s more effective if you treat the water bodies that their larvae live in.”
Mosquito larvae can be controlled with a soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt.
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki is a Bt subspecies that targets caterpillars, so that’s what you would use to control, say, cabbage worms or squash vine borer larvae. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is a group of Bt strains that control mosquito and fungus gnat larvae.
Bti is sold as Mosquito Dunks and Mosquito Bits. The material is inoculated with the bacteria. Add it to standing water, and, for weeks, it will kill mosquito larvae that hatched in the water. Dunks or bits could be used in a rain barrel, a birdbath, or a tree hole — anything that collects water.
You can create a mosquito bucket (a “bucket of doom”) to control mosquitoes. This is a five-gallon bucket with water and Bti, plus a few handfuls of leaves, straw or grass clippings. The smell of the organic matter in the standing water will attract mosquitoes to lay their eggs there, but those eggs will never reach adulthood because the Bti will kill the mosquitoes at the larval stage.
“You just have to refresh it every month or so, and it will become a sink for the local mosquito population,” David says.
There are other ways to reduce bites: wear long sleeves and pants and apply mosquito repellents, whether synthetic or botanical.
“ You can minimize your chances of being bitten even if there are tons of mosquitoes out there,” David says. “They’re a lot more simple, less-toxic ways than hiring somebody to come nuke your entire yard with aerial pesticides that are gonna kill not only the mosquitoes, but the ladybugs, and the dragonflies, and the lacewings, and the butterflies, and the moths, and the bees, and the list goes on and on.”
Should Gardeners Help Baby Birds That Fall Out of the Nest?
A baby bird found on the ground may not be in any trouble. It may be fledging.
“ Fledging is the part of a bird’s life where it leaves the nest for the first time, and in almost all cases, baby birds can’t fly when they first leave the nest,” David explains.
This goes for songbirds all the way up to raptors. The fledglings are susceptible to predation, but this is natural.
”Not all of these baby birds are going to make it, and this is the hard part for those of us who care so much, and we’re doing all this work because we want to support them and attract them and build their populations. But you can’t save nature from nature.”
When good-intentioned gardeners take in a baby bird because they want to help it, they often doom that bird instead.
“Almost always, you right out of the gates reduce the chances of survival for that bird because the parents are still feeding fledglings, are still protecting them. They’re in the shrubs or the trees looking for those babies, making sure that they stay as safe as they can. And so when you basically kidnap that baby bird out of the wild, you are not as good as its parents at caring for it,” he says.
If you find a baby bird that does not have feathers, it is not yet a fledgling. It can be put back in the nest, if accessible. If the nest is unreachable or can’t be found, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. The same goes if you find a fledgling that was attacked by a cat.
A young fledgling explores beyond the nest, a reminder of how our efforts in providing habitats contribute to successful breeding and reproduction. (Photo Credit: Amy Prentice)
Should I Feed Birds?
“Birds do not need bird feeders. Wildlife in general do not need handouts. They need habitat,” David says. “And habitat comes in the form of native plants, first and foremost. Native plants are going to provide the natural sources of food for the birds — the seeds, the nuts, the berries, the nectar, the sap, the insects that birds are feeding on and feeding their babies. They’re going to provide the places where they find cover from the elements and hide from their predators. The native plants are going to provide places where they’re going to build their nests, whether they’re species like cardinals or hummingbirds that build their nests in the branches, or they’re species like bluebirds or chickadees or owls that are cavity-nesters that are nesting in actual holes in trees.”
That being said, David has a birdfeeder.
“Sometimes people go a little overboard, and they put out 20 feeders on their quarter-acre yard and they’re spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars, and they have this idea that, ‘If I stop feeding the birds, they’re gonna starve.’ So let me tell everybody, take that weight off of your shoulders,” he says. “Here’s why: Birds only use feeders as a supplement to the natural foods that they’re finding in the landscape. So they only ever use it as a snack. So that means if you have to go on vacation or it’s just not in your budget to spend $500 on birdseed this month, the birds are not going to die. It’s OK. Now, yes, birds are losing habitat, and birds are losing food sources. But again, the solution to that is not to just put out a whole bunch of bird feeders. The solution is to restore their habitat by planting natives.”
Bird feeders are more for us than for the birds, he says.
It’s very important to keep them clean because feeders can spread disease. Soap and water are adequate.
“What we recommend at the National Wildlife Federation is just keep tabs on the situation with things like avian flu,” David says. “Sometimes there are other diseases that could potentially be spread by feeders. Check with your state wildlife agency. They’re the ones that usually keep on top of wildlife diseases.”
If there is an alert about a disease, take the feeders down until the alert is lifted.
Birdbaths Are Beneficial — If Clean
Keep birdbaths clean to avoid spreading pathogens among birds. David changes his birdbath’s water daily. Clean with soap and water or a mild bleach solution.
To ensure mosquitoes are not breeding in a birdbath, dump the water every four days, or even more frequently. It takes just five to seven days, depending on the species, for mosquitoes to lay eggs and for those eggs to hatch into larvae then pupate into adults.
A birdbath on the ground will serve not just birds but also frogs, turtles and other wildlife.
Water is an important element to provide to wildlife in your landscape. My bees drink from this birdbath all throughout the day.
If you haven’t listened to my conversation with David Mizejewski on home habitats, you can do so now by scrolling to the top of the page and clicking the Play icon in the green bar under the page title.
How have you fostered home habitats for wildlife? Let us know in the comments below.
Links & Resources
Episode 071: Gardening for Wildlife: How to Create an Inviting Habitat, with NWF’s David Mizejewski
Episode 126: Using Leaves as Mulch & Compost (and Why Leaves Change Color & Shed)
Episode 134: Bird Population Decline and What Gardeners Can Do to Help
Episode 206: Our Most Essential Trees: The Nature of Oaks, with Doug Tallamy
Episode 262: Garden for Wildlife: Accessing the Right Native Plants, with the NWF
Episode 261: All About Native Bees, with Heather Holm
Episode 387: Leave the Leaves for Wildlife and the Climate
joegardenerTV YouTube: How to Rid Your Yard of Mosquitoes without Harming Pollinators
joegardener Online Gardening Academy™: Popular courses on gardening fundamentals; managing pests, diseases & weeds; seed starting and more.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Organic Vegetable Gardening: My new premium online course. The course is designed to be a comprehensive guide to starting, growing, nurturing and harvesting your favorite vegetables, no matter what you love to eat, no matter where you live, no matter your level of gardening experience.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Master Seed Starting: Everything you need to know to start your own plants from seed — indoors and out.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Beginning Gardener Fundamentals: Essential principles to know to create a thriving garden.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Growing Epic Tomatoes: Learn how to grow epic tomatoes with Joe Lamp’l and Craig LeHoullier.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Master Pests, Diseases & Weeds: Learn the proactive steps to take to manage pests, diseases and weeds for a more successful garden with a lot less frustration. Just $47 for lifetime access!
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Perfect Soil Recipe Master Class: Learn how to create the perfect soil environment for thriving plants.
GGW Episode 309: Wildlife Gardens
“Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife“ by David Mizejewski
National Wildlife Federation: National Leave the Leaves Month
Naturalist David Mizejewski on Facebook
David Mizejewski on Instagram | @dmizejewski
David Mizejewski on X | @dmizejewski
David Mizejewski YouTube Channel
Certified Wildlife Habitat Program
National Wildlife Federation on Facebook
National Wildlife Federation on Instagram
National Wildlife Federation on X
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Milorganite® – Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joegardener.com
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I receive a commission every time you purchase a product through an Amazon affiliate link. Some product links in this guide are affiliate links. However, none of the prices of these resources have been increased to compensate us, and compensation is not an influencing factor on their inclusion here. The selection of all items featured in this post and podcast was based solely on merit and in no way influenced by any affiliate or financial incentive, or contractual relationship. At the time of this writing, Joe Lamp’l has professional relationships with the following companies who may have products included in this post and podcast: Milorganite, Soil3, Territorial Seed Company, Cool Springs Press / Quarto Group and Dramm. These companies are either Brand Partners of joegardener.com and/or advertise on our website. However, we receive no additional compensation from the sales or promotion of their product through this guide. The inclusion of any products mentioned within this post is entirely independent and exclusive of any relationship.
