| You may have noticed some new insects crawling or flying around your gardens recently… maybe with elongated, black bodies and orange patches near their heads? That’s right, those are fireflies! They seem to have come out in force recently in preparation for their summer evening displays. If you want to encourage and protect fireflies living in your yards, here are some simple steps to follow: Leave the leaves! Fireflies spend most of their lives as larvae which reside in the soil, leaf litter, and decaying wood in our gardens. Provide a water source or damp spot in your yard. Water both sustains fireflies as well as attracts their prey species, such as slugs. Turn off outdoor lights. Artificial light disrupts the courtship behavior of fireflies, which prevents them from finding each other to reproduce. Avoid the use of pesticides. Both fireflies and their prey may be harmed by pesticides. Mow less frequently or provide other shelter. Adult fireflies shelter in taller grass throughout the day, so mowing less or converting lawn to garden, in general, will help protect the adults. Plant native plants! Fireflies are predators as adults and larvae, and native plants help attract prey species. Some fireflies also eat pollen and other plant matter too, so you’re feeding all levels of the ecosystem with native plants! By encouraging fireflies to live on your property, you are helping to fill another level of a healthy ecosystem. You also get to enjoy the benefits of beautiful light displays in the evenings, and free pest control against snails, slugs, and other herbivorous invertebrates! |
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June 2024 Newsletter
