Want more fireflies in your yard? Small steps can keep them glowing for years to come

Populations of fireflies are dwindling, but we can help them survive.

By Sue Campbell, Star Tribune

June 28, 2021 at 10:38AM
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Thousands of fireflies lit up Spring Peeper Meadow at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum last July, with multiple exposures taken over five minutes to capture the blinking. (Brian Peterson, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

On a hot day at dusk, when there's stillness in the air, look to the edge of woods or marshy areas, or across an expanse of lawn. Quick as a blink, there they are: fireflies.

Also known as lightning bugs or glowworms, their tails contain chemicals and enzymes that, when sparked with oxygen, create a bioluminescent reaction. We see a yellowish flash in Minnesota, but in different parts of the country species glow green or orange or blue. Let's shine a little light on these seasonal wonders.

Each of the 2,000 species within the Lampyridae family of beetles has a unique flash pattern. Fireflies light up to attract mates, females waiting on tall foliage and males flying to them. Some females mimic the flash pattern of a different species as a trap, and when a male does arrive, she eats him for supper. A firefly's flashes also warn prey; most insect-eaters know that if it glows, it tastes bad.

Populations of fireflies are dwindling, due mainly to a loss of habitat and increased light pollution that prevents them from getting their signals across. But we can help them survive and thrive with a little advice from Firefly.org.

• Keep your yard dark by turning off exterior and garden lights and closing the blinds at night, making it easier for them to find one another to mate.

• Plant gardens, trees (especially pine) and native grasses to help replace lost habitat. Avoid the urge to over-mow, or leave some areas of longer grass.

• Let logs and leaves rot and leave them undisturbed, as larvae live there.

• Add a water feature to your garden or yard; fireflies thrive near standing water.

• Avoid using lawn chemicals and pesticides; fireflies are nature's pest control.

Welcoming these insects to your backyard invites nature's fleeting magic and sets the table for a showstopping summer.

Let it glow.

about the writer

about the writer

Sue Campbell, Star Tribune