To Rake or Not to Rake? Excuses Michiganders Use to Skip It

There are so many things to love about fall in Michigan! The gorgeous colors, the scrumptious cider and donuts, the cozy sweaters, and even the spooky vibes.

But, there's one thing that I truly hate about fall (and I know I can't be alone in this), and that's raking all the leaves.

The Michigan Leaf-Raking Debate

Sure, I love seeing all the leaves change color, and it's whimsical when they first start to fall. But, the inevitable clean up that follows is always annoying, to say the very least.

I will obviously clean my gutters of all the leaves, but the ones that fall on the ground bring me to the age-old question: to rake, or not to rake?

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Rake Your Leaves

For me and many other Michiganders, the answer is easy: absolutely not. But if you're the type of person that needs an actual reason to not rake your leaves, here are five:

1. It's Good for the Environment

Science is giving you an excuse to be lazy. Leaves are great for pollinators, act as a natural mulch, and help critters survive the winter.

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2. They'll Just Come Back Tomorrow

Oh, did you just spend three and a half hours on Saturday raking your leaves, bagging them, and taking them to the curb? Congratulations... you have to do it again Sunday morning because your neighbor's tree just dropped a bunch of leaves.

READ MORE: That Ball of Leaves in Your Michigan Tree Isn’t a Bird’s Nest

3. Leaf Blowers are the Devil's Hair Dryer

They're loud and annoying and no one wants to listen to that for hours on end.

4. The Wind Takes Care of It

Don't worry, we'll have some 30 mph gusts come through and move those leaves off your lawn.

5. Winter is Coming

Literally. Why bother raking when the snow is just gonna cover it in a week's time?

So when you spend your entire weekend raking and cleaning the yard, don't come into work and complain about not enjoying your weekend. You could have chosen to NOT rake leaves. Instead, you chose poorly. Next time, just say you're leaving it for the bees.