Pumpkins are a Halloween staple, but there's a reason you should never dump them after the spooky season is over.
That's because rotting pumpkins are actually bad for our wildlife and disrupt the natural flora and fauna - and can even attract urban rats.
Each year around eight million pumpkins and binned or dumped after Halloween.
The carved orange fruits are a vital decoration for many during the spooky season, but then lack purpose when Halloween is over.
People are being urged to get rid of their pumpkins properly after in influx of orange mess being left in recent years.
The Woodland Trust Scotland said so-called 'pumpkin dumping' is widespread, but have been particular problems in Livingston, Backmuir Wood near Dundee, Moncreiffe Hill in Perth and Formonthills in Glenrothes.
Spokesman George Anderson said: “In recent years people have been leaving pumpkin lanterns in woodland, thinking they are helping wildlife.
"We have ended up with orange mushy mess to deal with at lots of our sites. There are two big problems: Rotting pumpkins throw off the natural level of nutrients in a wild woodland and so can disrupt fragile forest floor plant communities.
"They can also attract in urban rats which then cause problems for wildlife.”
Zero Waste Scotland said rotting pumpkins produce methane - one of the most damaging greenhouse gases driving up climate change.
The food waste charity is encouraging people to save the squashes from the bin by using them up in pies, pizza, soups and even mince and tatties.
The Woodland Trust also suggests recycling pumpkin flesh and seeds to make a bird feeder for the garden.
George added: “Make soup, make a birdfeeder for your garden, but please don’t make a mess of the countryside."
The Woodland Trust charity manages some 1000 woodland sites across the UK with 60 in Scotland.
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