Firefly populations are declining. These tips can help you turn your yard into an inviting habitat for the bioluminescent stars of summer.

  • protist
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    6 months ago
    • Don’t use pesticides
    • Reduce or eliminate outdoor lighting
    • Create habitat

    1 is a no-brainer.

    2: Artificial lighting will confuse lightning bugs or prevent them from mating, since females need to see that fancy swoopy-light dance to find a mate. When they don’t mate, you lose out on the next generation.

    3: I’ve had success in my yard because I’ve carved garden beds out in my lawn where I’ve planted a lot of different native plants, and I try to only minimally disturb the beds throughout the year, so lightning bug larvae have free reign in the leaf litter in fall and winter