We're still a few weeks away from the leaves changing color and eventually fall to the ground causing everyone with deciduous trees to pick up a rake and gather the leaves into an appropriate receptacle.

But what if the ecologically sound decision was to just leave them wherever they fell?

That's what the Minnesota Bee Lab would like you to do.

According to the Bee Lab, (and where else would you get your bee news from?) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering putting the American bumblebee on the endangered species list.

The significant drop in bee population isn't a new story. It's been known for a while that the bee population is in trouble and the fallout in the near future could be disastrous.

No bees isn't a left or right issue. That's an everyone issue. No bees = a very bad time for humanity.

So what does this have to do with raking leaves? Great question.

The University of Minnesota Bee Lab suggests to "leave some messy piles of leaves in the corner of your yard. This will give queen bees somewhere to nest for the winter. If the queen doesn't make it, no one makes it.

While they suggest that you only need to leave a couple piles of leaves in your yard, I think for the good of humanity, we should just leave all the leaves on the ground this year. If it's good enough for Yellowstone, it's good enough for your Illinois home.

Some other bee friendly tips from a Master Gardener:

Be sure to have this article handy when a nosy neighbor asks you to clean up your yard this fall. Just tell them you're doing it for the planet. I'm sure they'll understand.

Eight Wisconsin Hikes That Will Immerse You In the Beauty of Fall

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Read the rest here:
Outstanding Midwestern News! We Might Have An Excuse To Not Rake Leaves This Fall - 1440wrok.com