ASK GARDEN GIRL.

Q Will my lawn suffer if I don't remove the fallen leaves from it?

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In a nutshell: Shade trees, such as maples and oaks, act like natural air conditioners if you plant them on the south and southwestern sides of your house.

The whole story: If your home feels more like a greenhouse in summer, it's because roofs absorb solar energy, paved surfaces reflect it, and windows let in hot sunlight. Trees come to the rescue by shading your home and reducing air temperatures with evapotranspiration--a process in which the tree releases water vapor that lowers ambient temperatures.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that carefully sited trees can cut the average household's energy consumption by 25 percent. To get a tree's maximum cooling benefit, you must plant it centrally and to the south of the house, or in the southwest corner. In this location, a deciduous tree will shade out hot afternoon sun in the summer, while still allowing light to warm the house in winter. You can plant a group of small trees--those that grow up to 25 feet tall--such as crape myrtles or flowering dogwoods 6 feet from your home, but the size and fine texture of the trees lets a lot of sunlight through.

"If you really want to cut your energy costs, you'll need to plant a larger tree farther out in the yard," says Mike Steede, George County director for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Medium-size trees, such as Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) and yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea), which top out at about 40 feet, can be planted 15 to 20 feet from the house and 35 feet apart. Planting at this distance ensures that the tree will shade the home without hanging over it and causing a hazard. Large trees, such as ginkgos, can overwhelm single-story homes, but if you have a two-story home or want to grow large trees (those that reach heights greater than 40 feet), plant them at least 35 feet from the house.

Steede suggests planting a larger, long-lived tree that grows at a moderate rate, such as a willow oak (Quercus phellos) or sugar maple (Acer saccharum), as opposed to a short-lived, fast-growing tree, such as a sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). It's best to choose a tree that's adapted to your area, resistant to local diseases, and long-lived. Check out the Mississippi State University Extension's publication Selecting Landscape Plants (available online at msucares.com) or the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Guide (online at arborday.org) for more trees that fit your yard and its conditions.

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In a nutshell: You found an eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus), a scary-looking insect. It could star in its own horror movie, except it is, like Frankenstein's monster, basically harmless.

The whole story: The eyed click beetle fakes out predators (and startles gardeners) with its two large, false eyespots. Bur it's the beetle's acrobatic moves that really draw attention. When it feels threatened, it drops onto its back and then flips itself into the air--sometimes several inches high--until it feels safe. The beetle performs this trick by snapping the first section of its thorax--the segmented middle part of its body--into a groove in the second section of the thorax. This hinge action makes a "click" noise (hence the name dick beetle) and launches the insect into the air.

The eyed click beetle makes its home in the eastern half of North America, and the adults do no damage to living plants. The larvae, called wireworms due to their narrow, shiny, jointed appearance, spend most of their time in rotted stumps and logs. The larvae of some other click beetle species, including Limonius spp. and Agriotes spp., are considered pests because they feed on the roots of lawns, vegetables, and flowers. But the larvae of eyed click beetles tend to leave gardens and lawns alone, preferring instead to prey on the larvae of wood borers (pests that you definitely don't want in your yard). So the next time you see one of these guys, rest assured that it won't harm you or your plants, and let it go along on its merry way.

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In a nutshell: Bird feeders help birds by offering food when natural sources are scarce.

The whole story: Many gardeners don't put out feeders because they're afraid that birds will rely on them and lose their natural ability to forage. But research from the University of Wisconsin shows that winter-survival rates are higher when birds have both feeder and native food options and that birds retain the ability to forage if feeders are removed. "Feeders reduce the amount of time it takes to find food," says Stephen Kress, an ornithologist and coauthor of the Audubon North American Birdfeeder Guide. "And the average meal size is certainly larger than tiny weed seeds or wintering insects dug out of tree bark." Feeders are especially important in late winter, when other food is in short supply, and during periods of heavy snow or extreme cold.

Feeders can harbor disease, and improper placement may expose birds to predators and other hazards. Prevent these drawbacks by choosing plastic, steel, or glass feeders, which are easy to clean and don't harbor molds and fungus. Clean your feeders at least twice a year by soaking them in a 10 percent bleach solution for three minutes, scrubbing them with a brush, and rinsing with clean water. Keep seed in dry, sealed containers and put out only enough seed to last several hours (or days, if dry weather is expected).

Protect birds from crashing into windows by stretching netting several inches in front of the glass. Also, wild birds aren't as skilled ar evading cats as Tweety Bird is, so placing feeders near shelter (hedges, trees, and gardens) is especially important. Cats kill several hundred million (yep, you read that correctly) birds each year. Properly placed bird feeders may deter predation, since they allow birds to spend less time feeding and more time looking out for predators, notes Kress.

OG Solutions is edited by Therese Ciesinski. Send your questions to Willi Evans, Garden Girl, 33 East Plinor St., Emmaus, PA 18098, or to og@rodale.com. Find more of Garden Girl's advice on the homepage of OrganicGardening.com.