Where Did Louisiana’s Fireflies Go? The Fish & Wildlife Service Tells Us

Anyone else feel like there were a lot more fireflies when they were young? Well, you actually might be onto something. There probably were way more fireflies around us then.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Services posted on social media recently about the question they're asked often: "Where did all the fireflies go?", and their answers reinforces the theory that we don't have as many fireflies around as we once did. Here's their post...

The post reads:

"Where did all the fireflies glow?

We get asked the question all the time - hey, why don't I see that many lightning bugs anymore? The simple answer is, maybe your community is no longer a good habitat for them. Before we get to the longer answer of why you're not seeing them anymore, you need to know how this beetle starts out life.

Fireflies lay their eggs in the ground where they then mature into glow worms. It's during this larval stage where they spend all their time eating other, tinier insects. Born and raised in the duff, they need the leaves that naturally litter the ground.

That’s why it's important to leave your backyards and street sides as untouched as possible every autumn to preserve the larvae and small insects living in the leaf litter. This helps to ensure a healthy, new year of fireflies.

Ok, leave the leaves, but what are some other ways to help?

-Turn off outdoor lights in the evening. If you have inside lights on, close the blinds
-Plant native plants
-Mow grass less frequently and raise the length of the cut to 4 inches
-When leaves drop in the fall, rake them if you want, but keep them in your yard
-Use non-pesticide solutions for insect control"

Which means that the reason we're seeing less and less fireflies is because of us. The things we do is what causes us to not see the little guys. Our porchlights, grass mowing, and bug spray all contribute to the lack of fireflies we see today.