Seeing fewer #fireflies this year? Here’s why, and how you can help.
Fireflies are vulnerable to #ClimateChange and habitat loss. Some simple landscaping tricks and turning off porch lights can make a big difference.
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between #Grist and #BPR, a #PublicRadio station serving western #NorthCarolina.
Katie Myers Regional Reporter, #Appalachia, July 11, 2025
Excerpt: "Basham and Jacobs have a few other tips for helping fireflies thrive. You don’t need to be a scientist to help protect fireflies. In fact, the biggest difference comes from how we care for our own #backyards. Here are a few things Basham and Jacobs recommend:
- Turn off your #PorchLights. Fireflies are incredibly sensitive to #ArtificialLight, and it can confuse them.
- Ditch the manicured lawn and embrace #NativePlants. In addition to being easier to care for, they suit the local environment and conserve water.
- Leave some leaves behind when you rake in the fall. They’re a great place for fireflies to find food, stay cool, and lay eggs.
- Plant shrubs, tufting grasses, and other, large plants. These can shelter fireflies during rainstorms and other severe weather.
- If you spot fireflies, jot down when and where you saw them and add your observations to citizen science databases like iNaturalist, Firefly Watch, or Firefly Atlas to help scientists collect data.
"Even among those who study fireflies, the thrill of spotting them remains magical. Lower has made many excursions to the southern #AppalachianMountains to find the famous, ethereal 'blue ghosts.' Rather than flicker, the insects emit a continuous bluish-green glow. 'You walk into the pitch black woods and at first you can’t really see anything right because your eyes are getting used to the darkness,' Lower said. 'But eventually you start to see all these dim glows.' "
https://grist.org/science/seeing-fewer-fireflies-this-year-heres-why-and-how-you-can-help/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
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