Weeds. Yes, indeed they can be very unsightly. But did you ever stop and notice which “weeds” are getting chomped on? This summer we took notice.

We discovered that the insects (we’re no longer calling them pests) are feasting on certain plants. So instead of pulling them up (pulling, not spraying, because we do not use herbicides anymore!), we let them be.

The insects in our ecosystem, like the firefly in the photo above, have plenty to eat. They are eating organic food, but just not our food (at least not all of it). Oh yeah you can bet that we are watching them closely 👀!

Keep this in mind: if we pulled up the weeds then the insects would not have their preferred plants to eat. That means they would be coming for our vegetable garden plants. And that would mean a battle that we don’t have the energy for—especially not this in this heat!

So before you get rid of “weeds,” take a close look at the leaves. More than likely those are native plants loved and appreciated by the area wildlife, large and small. Let them have it.

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Got more ideas about how to handle insects in a sustainable way? Add to the comments! Let’s grow something!