Fireflies are attracted to each other from the bioluminescent flickering yellow green of their tails. You can create that atmosphere and perhaps invite a few Fireflies along for the fun. Let’s see how!
A Firefly Jar from Gooseberry Patch. Visit The Firefly Files from Ohio State and get educated on our favorite summer insect. In 1986, scientist created a Firefly plant that glows as is talked about in a Time online article. Tim Wood at The Plant Hunter talks about a Firefly hydrangea.
Make some napkins for a fun summer picnic with this Firefly material.
It’s time to create a Firefly garden. Summers are made for Fireflies and picnics on lazy afternoons sitting in the warm breezes. The little jar above from Gooseberry Patch is battery operated. Set it on the picnic table and let it create the merriest atmosphere with an evening Firefly glow.
Add an arrangement close by that will fit the theme and reflect the light.
Lancer™ Green & Yellow
Phormium tenax
New Zealand Flax by Proven Winners Plants( Search Flax combinations)
Bright Lime Green picnic dishes from Walmart!
There are Firefly Lights that actually attract the Fireflies to your area.
A set of bright yellow chairs for Firefly watching!
While watching the Fireflies and kiddos play, plan and document your garden with this pretty garden planning book from Gooseberry Patch.
Fireflies like to hang out in trees so why not plant a Chinese Golden Raintree zones 7-9 close to your sitting area.
And why not attach the firefly lights to your umbrella—found at Teak, Wicker, and More
Let the little ones ride around chasing the fireflies in a retro yellow cab. Teak, Wicker, and More
As a child, fireflies in the summer were a given. There used to be so many, in fact, that you could barely tell where the fireflies ended and the stars began. I remember leaving a party on night in Pennsylvania and the trees were so full of fireflies that they looked like they were exploding–as if someone had set off firecrackers in their boughs and found a way to eliminate the noise. I am sad to say that I have seen only two or three fireflies in the last 20 years. There used to be billions of them everywhere in the summer, so I just took them for granted. I believe that spraying to kill mosquito larvae has also impacted firefly populations. Fireflies inhabit the banks of wetlands, ponds, lakes, as well as rotting wood and organic materials found in forests, and they prefer standing water–the first place they spray to kill mosquito larvae. This spraying also wipes out natural predators of the mosquito, like dragonflies and frogs and exacerbates the mosquito problem in the long run.
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For those of you who enjoy watching fireflies, why not volunteer a few minutes a week to help count them? Scientists are studying the impact of human activities on firefly populations, and they’re looking for citizen scientists to collect data in their own backyards. It’s a great project for kids, too. You can find out more here: https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/.
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This is just plain FUN!
We call them lightning bugs here, and they just appeared about a week ago. They mean summer to me and I love them!
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I love to watch fireflies. What a wonderful array of stuff you have picked out there. I wonder if they’d like some of my clear Christmas tree lights….
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Our fireflies usually come out in June – thanks for the great ideas to get ready for them! My kids are getting to be too old to chase them around – I miss those days.
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Anna, We have glow worms here, very similar, same family but I have never seen them. They are getting rarer because of all the lights we use, there are less areas were they can see each other’s lights. The males have been known to be attracted to street lights rather than the females!
Best wishes Sylvia
I can see that happening and it’s just not so romantic. We need to turn out the lights so the fireflies can have some peace and make more fireflies.
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I love to fire fly gaze on a summer night.
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Fireflies are cool, They’re lots of them here and it so neat to watch them light up at night.
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Fireflies are very cool but I have yet to see one in Idaho. Fun post!
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This reminds me of the year we lived in St. Louis when I was 9. That’s the only time I’ve ever seen fireflies and I thought they were so neat.
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