As autumn approaches and gardens begin their seasonal transformation, conservation experts are urging British gardeners to embrace a surprisingly simple practice: stop clearing away caterpillars from beneath your trees. This small act of tolerance could have profound benefits for your local ecosystem.
The Hidden World Beneath Our Trees
When caterpillars complete their feeding phase, they descend from trees to find safe places to pupate. Those falling onto hard surfaces like patios, decking, or paved areas face almost certain death, either from impact or from becoming easy prey. However, when they land on soft surfaces like soil, grass, or leaf litter, their chances of survival increase dramatically.
Why This Simple Change Matters
This isn't just about saving individual caterpillars—it's about supporting entire food chains. Caterpillars serve as crucial food sources for birds, bats, hedgehogs, and other wildlife. By ensuring more caterpillars survive to become moths and butterflies, we're essentially providing a continuous buffet for the creatures that depend on them.
Gardening expert and wildlife advocate Jane Moore explains: "We often focus on planting nectar-rich flowers for adult butterflies, but we forget that caterpillars need safe passage to complete their life cycle. Creating soft landings is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to support biodiversity."
Practical Steps for Gardeners
- Leave leaf litter undisturbed around tree bases
- Plant ground cover like ivy or periwinkle beneath trees
- Create grassy patches directly under tree canopies
- Avoid hard landscaping immediately around trees
- Embrace a slightly wilder look in garden borders
The Ripple Effect of Soft Landings
This approach forms part of a growing 'messy gardening' movement that champions small changes with significant ecological impacts. By making our gardens more caterpillar-friendly, we're not just helping butterflies and moths—we're supporting everything from songbirds to small mammals that rely on these insects for food.
As Moore concludes: "Every soft landing space we create becomes a miniature nature reserve. In a time of declining insect populations, these small sanctuaries collectively make a substantial difference to our local wildlife."
