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    The Best Time for Spring Clean-up

    Nature’s Nursery Reminds Us to Wait to do our Spring Clean-Up

    Last weekend the Toledo area saw temps in the upper 60’s. With occasional bouts of warm weather popping it’s tempting to break out the garden gloves and get to work. A post from local wildlife rehabilitation experts remind us: don’t rush your garden spring clean-up!

    Waiting to do Spring Clean-up Helps Animals

    Nature’s Nursey wrote on their Facebook page, “Please resist the urge to clean-up your garden and yard of leaves, sticks, and other dead vegetation. So many beneficial insects rely on those bits of nature to finish out their winter sleep. So, wait until we are consistently in the 50s or warmer before grabbing your garden gloves and rake. Use this as an excuse to just enjoy the day!”

    More About Nature’s Nusery

    If you have ever found a wounded critter or abandoned baby animal, it’s likely you are familiar with Nature’s Nursery. Nature’s Nursery Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Education is not for profit organization in Whitehouse, Ohio. Their website says, “We provide medical care to injured, orphaned or ailing wild animals. We also conduct conservation educational outreach programs for children and adults.” The small staff and army dedicated of volunteers help care for and rehabilitate hundreds to thousands of animals every year.

    Nature’s Nursery’s website is an excellent resource for what to do if you come across an animal you think may need human help. Their website is chock full of useful information you can read by clicking here. Did you know it is against federal law to move a nest with eggs of any type of bird? Likewise, did you know it’s an old wife’s tale that animal mothers will reject a baby if it has a human scent on it? Were you also aware that the best method for removing an animal, such as a raccoon, from an attic or shed is to simply leave the lights and turn on a portable radio or fan?

    natures-nursery-2020-animal-care-report

    Above: Snapshot of Nature’s Nursery 2020 Annual Report

    What to do if you find an Animal During Your Spring Clean-up

    Nature’s Nursery stresses the importance of trusting mother nature, and leaving baby animals alone, because the mother most likely has a plan and will indeed return to care for her offspring. On their website Nature’s Nursery has a guide for what to do if you have found any of the following animals and aren’t sure if they need help.

    • bunny/rabbit
    • bird or nest of birds
    • squirrel
    • racoon
    • deer
    • bat
    • turtle/snake/frog
    • groundhog
    • opossum
    • ducks or geese
    • hawk/owl/eagle

    Since Nature’s Nursery is funded privately, donations are always welcome. You can support Nature’s Nursery by designating them as your Amazon Smile beneficiary or buy shopping their Amazon Wish List. Nature’s Nursery also offers plenty of opportunities to support them via fundraisers. For example, next month they are hosting a Breakfast for the Babies event. Tickets can be purchased for one of two breakfast times offered at the Whitehouse American Legion on April 3.

    Delaying Spring Clean-up Also Helps Insects

    Savvy Gardening agrees with Nature’s Nursery that it’s best to wait until temperatures have reached the 50’s for seven consecutive days before beginning your spring clean-up work. According to Savvygardening.com, “Lots of beneficials insects, including pollinators like tiny native bees, and pest-munching predators like syrphid flies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps, spend the winter hunkered down in hollow plant stems either as adults or pupae. Cutting down the dead plant stems too early in the spring will disturb them before they have a chance to emerge.

    Further advice from Savvy Gardening includes waiting until the soil dries after spring showers before laying down mulch. This will ensure those healthy insects in your garden beds and around your plants and shrubs have time to wake up from their long winter naps. Likewise, be careful with your pruning and leave any twigs with cocoons or chrysalises intact on your plant. For all the advice offered by Savvy Gardening on spring clean-up you can read their full article here.

    Stay up to date with Effler Schmitt Co.

    When it is the best time for spring yard clean up, check out our previous blog: Flower Nursery Trip to get Your Home Ready for Spring. For all our current listings visit www.effler.com/our-properties/. To stay informed on new listings, open houses, price adjustments and more, connect with us on Facebook or Instagram. Get to know the Effler Schmitt Company Realtors by reading a past blog post: Our Team.  Effler/Schmitt Co., a company a friend would recommend. 

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