Grit: How To Attract Fireflies To Your Property

Investment Analysis Clubs Destiny Solutions Corporation
1

Grit headline: How to Attract Fireflies to Your Property

Subheadline: Fireflies provide one of nature’s neatest light shows. Learn how to attract fireflies and turn your property into a natural firefly habitat.

By Dr. Gary Noel Ross

https://www.grit.com/animals/wildlife/attract-fireflies-to-y…

On my 77th birthday, in May of 2017, I opted to remain alone at my urban home to work a bit on my favorite hobby — a sizable streetside flower garden for butterflies and other pollinators. By dusk, I had decided to retire early. First, however, I returned to my colorful garden to experience one last visual treat for my psyche.

Surprise! The fading light was punctuated by a dozen or so flashing pinpoints of light — yellowish white with a neon-like glow. As an entomologist, I knew that such pyrotechnics could be produced by only one thing: fireflies. But I hadn’t observed these harmless and charismatic insects that herald summer on my premises for at least the previous four decades. Now, on this special evening, I felt as though I somehow had been transported back in time.

This resurgence of fireflies was personally poignant — and not just because of my birthday. You see, in 1973, when I built my first and only house in a new neighborhood that was being carved from a small patch of woodland on the outskirts of Baton Rouge, I tried to retain a natural look to the property. To do so, I landscaped my 1-acre tract as an urban wildlife garden based on the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program. (My property is certified #4373.) Back then, fireflies were common. How well I remember walking outside on summer evenings for nature’s post-dinner entertainment. The silent blinks always triggered an upwelling of serenity and relaxation. By the early 1980s, however, most of the vacant plots in my neighborhood had been developed, leaving my property the only vestige of nature. Alas, such was not sufficient to sustain a viable population of fireflies. My pre-bedtime elixir was no more.

3 Likes
2

To make your personal landscape firefly-friendly, you need to remember that adult fireflies don’t fly far from their breeding grounds, and the insects require one full year in an undisturbed area to complete their complicated life cycle. Here are some tips for attracting fireflies to your property:

:pushpin: If you’re considering a new residence, select a property that’s close to a natural area that could be a reservoir for fireflies.

:pushpin: Select a large area and plant deciduous (broadleaf) trees and bushes to create completely shaded ground.

:pushpin: To make your personal landscape firefly-friendly, you need to remember that adult fireflies don’t fly far from their breeding grounds, and the insects require one full year in an undisturbed area to complete their complicated life cycle. Here are some tips for attracting fireflies to your property:

  1. If you’re considering a new residence, select a property that’s close to a natural area that could be a reservoir for fireflies.

  2. Select a large area and plant deciduous (broadleaf) trees and bushes to create completely shaded ground.

  3. Install thick ground cover, such as an evergreen ivy or Asiatic jasmine, and don’t disturb with human or animal traffic.

  4. Don’t rake fallen leaves in autumn, but instead allow them to decay so they add humus to the soil.
    Don’t use pesticides.

  5. Water during dry periods until the vegetation is well established.

  6. Install a flower garden close to the shaded venue with heirloom or native species to attract pollinators.

  7. Have patience! Years may pass before an adventuresome female firefly locates your landscape.Install thick ground cover, such as an evergreen ivy or Asiatic jasmine, and don’t disturb with human or animal traffic.

A retired professor of entomology and award-winning nature writer, Dr. Gary Noel Ross enjoys directing butterfly festivals for the North American Butterfly Association and exploring the swamps and marshes of his native Louisiana to research and photograph unusual aspects of nature.

2 Likes