How to Attract Fireflies to Your Yard

There is nothing more exciting than being a kid and experiencing that joy of catching your first firefly in your hand. Peering into your cupped hands, watching the light blink on and off. Have you ever wondered how you can make your backyard more appealing to those beautiful little creatures?

Creating a Firefly Oasis in your Backyard

• Cut down on the amount of chemicals you are using on your lawn. Fireflies, aka lightning bugs, do not like the smell of chemicals and will generally avoid the area. Also, lawn chemicals will leak into the soil harming the firefly larvae that are born underground.
• Don’t kill the slimy creatures in your yard. Fireflies feast on worms, slugs, snails and other grubs.
• Provide them with a good habitat. Male fireflies fly, but females do not. The females will usually rest on a tall blade of grass or shrubbery. Planting a variety of shrubs, grasses and flowers will ensure that you have happy fireflies!
• Turn off the lights! Artificial lights, like street lamps, porch and solar lamps, can confuse fireflies. Best to turn them off and enjoy the lightning bugs under the dark night sky.
• Resist the urge to catch the fireflies in a jar. You don’t want to accidentally harm or kill them, in the quest to observe them.