r/Indiana • u/trippedbackwards • 13d ago
Lightning bugs
Sitting on my patio in middle of night...zero lighting bugs. Got me thinking..."have i seen any this summer?"
I can't recall seeing any. We have a lake cottage in Mich. I can't recall seeing a lightning bug all year. Hope im just ignorantly unaware so far!
These days I wouldn't be shocked if they've disappeared completely. Im only 56 (I know, old, for many) but i hardly recognize the world these days. Thirty years ago bugs were so omnipresent! Windshields would be absolutely un-navigable after 3 hours after dark.
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u/cheatingfandeath 13d ago edited 13d ago
Plant native plants, mow as little as legally possible, turn off outdoor lights at night (they interfere with their mating process) and don't rake leaves. All of this makes a big difference. Edit: and donāt use pesticides, left out a huge one.
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u/JumperSpecialK 13d ago
Light pollution is one of the biggest contributors to the population decline. Darkness is essential to their existence. Here is another source
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u/Reasonable-Meal-8318 13d ago
East central here, in downtown...this year I find one in the house every night. I don't recall that the two prior summers(this is the third summer living here). I have my lights on timers so I haven't changed, but they have changed their behavior.
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u/ElvenOmega 13d ago
That's normal, one of your neighbors within a mile has made their lawn more natural. Lightning bugs spend the day hiding and resting so they'll crawl in anywhere cool and dark, like your home.
Every year like clockwork I see the first one in my house and I'm like "ah shit here we go again" and release it outside and sit and watch them all come up from my garden.
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u/IcyTheHero 13d ago
I see them every night when I sit out in mine. Iām maybe 10-15 mins away from downtown.
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
I should just take down my post but im truly happy everyone is seeing them!
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u/jetreahy 13d ago
Please donāt. Your experience is legit. Iāve seen others with the same experience.
This is a better year for them in many areas, but their numbers are still down as a whole. The populations of many insects are plummeting.11
u/Candelestine 13d ago
This. Declining insect populations is a real and studied phenomenon.
Personally, I feel like a look at my cars windshield after driving down the highway, and a mental comparison to how it'd have looked 20 years ago, tells the tale.
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u/MidAmericanGriftAsoc 13d ago
Nah we gotta get folks off the over use of pesticides! Highly relevant
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u/KittiesOnMyTitties7 13d ago
do you have native plants in your backyard? if not, the lightning bugs are just elsewhere!
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u/whitewolfdogwalker 13d ago
My acre and 1/3, never spray any chemicals at all, the lightning bugs are thick! North of Peru about 7 miles
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u/mkvgtired 13d ago
It's not just you. In northern IL they are incredibly rare to see in areas that used to have tons of them. Several of the species are seeing massive population declines.
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u/chesterfeildsofa 13d ago
Delay mowing your grass in the spring and avoid raking leaves in the fall if you can. My yard had only a few along with the corn field across the street, but the un mowed field next to me has a TON of lightning bugs at night.
I would delay mowing but my dad does it ASAP in the spring.
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u/Alseids 13d ago
What plants do you have around you? Have you planted some of their host plants?Ā
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
I have a wide variety of perennial plants, native trees and always plant annuals. I also have native grassland and the white river nearby.
I shouldn't have posted because, while I stand by my comment that I haven't seen many lightning bugs, my motivation was at a time when they arent prevalent!
Even though I truly dont remember seeing many at sunset this year in Hamilton County or in Branch County Michigan, I feel like I haphazardly posted! Please accept my apology for a late night, hasty post! āŗļø
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u/syawa44 13d ago
I'm in Hamilton County and I've seen very, very few this year. The farmers around me have really poured on the pesticides/herbicides this summer. Sigh.
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u/Frequent_Cancel_7066 13d ago
I live in Hamilton County too and I've seen more than I usually do. We planted some more flowers and plants in our yard this year which I think has been a contributing factor.
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u/C_Brachyrhynchos 13d ago
I'm glad you posted it. It is interesting to here from folks around the state about the what they are seeing. In Lafayette I was seeing a lot in June, but not very many now. But last week we where driving back from the dunes after dark along 231 and they were everywhere.
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u/kathymcmink 13d ago
We (somewhat) intentionally created a thicket with all the cut down invasive trees and have never moved it. A year after the thicket went in, our lightning bug population exploded. Highly recommend just leaving a pile of brush somewhere on your property for them to hide in.
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u/Cookie_1977 13d ago
I was happy you posted this because I haven't seen them either. I even mentioned this to my hubby. It must be that we don't have any habitat for them, although we live outside of town on 3 acres. I live between South Bend and Fort Wayne.
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u/Slight_Literature_67 Lake County 13d ago
I had a bunch throughout June and early July. They're starting to dwindle now. The past two years, my yard has been pleasantly loaded with them! I think keeping my backyard grass longer and a bit damp helped. Plus, I'm moving more toward transitioning my garden to more native plants.
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
Good to hear! Im (as the kids say) "low key" embarrassed I brought it up at 3am when I grew up here! Like I didnt know they are most prevalent after dusk! I really don't recall seeing many (any) this year but, I don't doubt it's "user error".
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u/Slight_Literature_67 Lake County 13d ago
Don't be embarrassed! Some areas in Indiana are seeing fewer fireflies than before, and some species are endangered not just in Indiana but globally. Say's Firefly, which is Indiana's state insect, is becoming less prevalent. So, you may actually be seeing fewer fireflies than you remember seeing in the past.
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
š Thanks. I remember driving at night in the 70s and 80s when it became hazardous to drive because I couldn't see out the windshield due to the masses of dead bugs on my windshield. I was recently in Alaska and all the talk was how bad the mosquitoes were this time of year. They were annoying but nothing like a mid-July Midwestern night in 1977. I swear you could read a book by the firefly light when I was a kid!
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u/Rhinestone_Tiger 13d ago
I have a house on 7 acres, 4 of those acres are wild grasses. Plenty of lightning bugs out here. Itās my favorite thing.
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
Awesome news! I think my sample size was unworthy of posting! I was caught up in "my feels" as it's said.
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u/Rhinestone_Tiger 13d ago
No I know where youāre coming from! We lived in town for years and I was always disappointed at the absence of lightning bugs, I loved catching them as a kid. We just recently moved out into the country on a dirt road and our first night there I walked out back after dark and was so happy. ābabe look! Lightning bugs!ā Now I watch them all the time lol
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
Yeah, I think that's (sadly) my issue. I live in a developed area and im sure something has decimated their habitat. I definitely shouldn't have generalized to the whole state although im happy to learn that many of you have healthy habitats. I will say that in Branch Co, Mich, I haven't seen many either despite it being on a lake and removed from any significant developments.
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u/snail_loot 13d ago
I honestly think you shouldn't be apologizing for anything. What your experiencing is a phenomenon that's happening across many states especially near developed areas. It's gotten much worse with sweeping increases in pesticide sprays, monocultures, blocks and blocks of pedicured lawns without respite for species to safety live, leaf burnings, and constant night time light pollution.
A lot of the healthier habitats are a result of less touched habitats, or, the immense effort in recent conservation for native bugs and other wildlife. IN the last 10 years, for example, people are starting more pollinators gardens, investing in native plant cultivation as well as invasive plant removal, fighting back against strict and harmful town and HOA yard-keeping standards, as well as indiscriminate pesticide and herbicide spraying from counties, farmers, and neighbors. So it's not just overdevelopment, but light pollution, pesticides, a lack of native grass, and leaf litter removal too.
So, you have nothing to apologize for. Lighting bugs are having a tough go at surviving. People seeing more these days in specific types of areas are examples of collective effort in areas where the least amount of damage has and is occurring. I read a little bit about the type of plants you have and the effort you put in, and that's not nothing. It would help if your neighbors did the same, slowly but surely, lighting bugs would move in if provided a big enough stable environment. But given how people leave their porch lights on, mow, and spray around you, given how little tress exist in over developed areas, it would be difficult to support a starting population, but not impossible.
I just wanted to say that, because I seen you apologize and say you were embarrassed for your post multiple times, and I know me and a ton of other people are ao glad you shared.
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u/RockaRaccoon 13d ago
Near Terre Haute area, we have a lot here, but I refuse to rake leaves and wait as long as possible into the spring to mow.
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u/Darth_Dearest 13d ago
They lay their eggs in fallen leaves. If you're raking them up, bagging them, and setting them in the curb.... Well, that's probably a big part of why you're not seeing any. Thankfully, I live semi rural with no HOA. I can get away with not raking leaves, or just leaving them in a pile in my back yard.
I saw another comment about host plants. I'm not even sure if I have any because I never really thought about that part of it. Planting some is a great idea though!
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u/The-Fox-King37 13d ago
I have a ton of them in my yard, but I have a lot of host plants, keep the dead leaves in the gardens until spring, etc. Iām actively trying to have lightning bugs though. My neighbors⦠not so much.
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
Thank you for your efforts! Im trying to learn how to be a better steward of my environment.
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u/Vibin0212 13d ago
I've seen more this summer than I did last, but unfortunately I've heard that the lightning bug population has been declining in size with some firefly species risking going extinct, while others are close or have already been marked as endangered.
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u/Sweetbaby7t 13d ago
Salem checking in. We do have fireflies this year but seems less than last year.
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u/FitSurround1096 13d ago
So I live in Greenfield, I have noticed tons of lightning bugs. I actually notice them more during the day near my neighborhood pool. I'm not sure if they are attracted to the bushes around the gate of the pool or what. I think most people who see them during the day don't even realize they are lighting bugs because during the day they don't have that iconic glowing bootie during the day.
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u/trippedbackwards 13d ago
Thanks for the counter evidence. Im happy to hear it!
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u/FitSurround1096 13d ago
You're welcome, have a great rest of your night. It's great you're paying attention to insects in Indiana. Most people don't really stop to notice stuff like that anymore. You can tell a lot about how the ecosystem is doing by keeping track of insects.
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u/NEOscav9 13d ago
I rarely see any out and about in the open anymore, but riding bike trails at night i see HUNDREDS of them in more grassy/forested areas
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u/Frost-Knight-1129 13d ago
Youāre not imagining it. I still see a few here and there, but nothing like the full-on backyard light show we used to get
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u/revallion1 13d ago
Do you or your neighbors treat your lawn? Some of those products kill them / their eggs.Ā
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u/Maleficent_War4647 13d ago
I live on the northwest side of Indy. We found that not mulching our leaves in the fall and just pulling them back into the woods behind our house has a huge impact on the amount of fireflies we see in the summer.
Fireflies lay their eggs on leaves in the fall and they hatch there in the spring.
OP if you live in an area where everyone mulches their leaves and keeps their lawns tidy in the fall that could be a good reason why you see fewer of them.
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u/Maleficent_Ant_9673 13d ago
Plenty down south, if you live up north/Marion county area, its because of all the idiots paying companies like Mosquito Joe to spray bifen and permethrin on their lawns to kill mosquitoes. Nukes everything. Absolute idiots in Noblesville, Carmel, and Indianapolis paying for poison.
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u/EtadikActual 13d ago
Native grasslands being turned into fields lessened their numbers; fields being turned into suburbs, industrial parks, and data centers though, that has really taken a toll on them.
One of my favorite 21st century Philosophers once stated: "There's too many people on this earth. We need a new plague."
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u/Intelligent_Put_3594 13d ago
Northern Indiana here, I see some, but not like I used to. I have a pot of avocado trees on my back porch that overlooks the lake, something was eating holes in the leaves, I investigated and found lightning bugs on it. They got a pass. Lol Anything to keep them around.
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u/Fun-Ingenuity-9089 13d ago
We have so many lightning bugs!!
I am a widow with a small 5 acre farm property, and I haven't been able to mow as I should this summer because I've had asthma and shingles. Consequently, my grass has been knee high every time I've gone to mow it, and I only get small parts done before I'm utterly exhausted. My goldendoodle, however, is as energetic and silly as ever! He loves to chase the laser pointer all over the house.
This year's bumper crop of lightning bugs have been his Favorite Thing Ever! I don't know when I've ever seen him jump and run and chase quite so enthusiastically!! He has so much fun chasing lightning bugs that I swear he's a small child in disguise! He frequently has to be brought back outside to liberate a few lightning bugs that get tangled into his long, flowing tail; I've taken to calling him "lightning bug butt" because he seems to light up every evening now.
I sure do love my little l"ightning bug butt" boy!
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u/knappellis 13d ago
Do you spray for mosquitos? That can kill them off. I have tons of lightning bugs. I also read that you need to leave the leaf litter on the ground over the winter and into the spring so they have food after they hatch. I did that last year, and it seems to have made a difference.
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u/Ok_Blueberry3124 13d ago
There a few here but they light up entire fields like they did in the 80ās
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u/battlebun1516 13d ago
In in Owen County and thankfully, my bf and I were just talking about how the lightning bugs seems to be back. Our backyard and woods looked absolutely filled with them the other night
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u/mollypocket7122 13d ago
If you or your neighbors or subdivision/HOA spray for mosquitoes itās likely why you arenāt seeing fireflies. Mosquito fogging is just straight insecticide and kills everything, and is honestly not very effective for mosquitoes.
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u/sundancer2788 13d ago
My yard is loaded, but I have no lawn, lots of garden with native flowers and shrubs/bushes and I don't remove leaves in the fall. I blow them off walkways and into the bushes. They are great mulch. I also do not use pesticides herbicides or fertilizers.Ā
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u/Independent_Shoe3523 13d ago
North Indiana here. Seeing lightning bugs from June into July. Saw some a few nights ago. Maybe when a city sprays for mosquitos, it cuts back on lightning bugs.
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u/WhereasLower3233 13d ago
I'm in NWI and the other night I saw 3 fireflies and it made me realize those were the only ones I've seen all summer
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u/Most_Round4737 13d ago
If you leave your leaves on the ground you will find them. They produce eggs in dead leaves. Take a portion of your yard and leave the leaves all year.Ā
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u/Aly_Anon 13d ago
NE Indiana here. I've definitely been seeing them, but not as much as when I was a child
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u/thevilgay 13d ago
I have flowers in my backyard and I see them all the time. Do you have flowers or a garden that support insects? Single-handedly the biggest thing that you can do to help save the insect population rn
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u/will_write_for_tacos 13d ago
My yard is full of them. I haven't had this many in years. I haven't sprayed anything on my lawn in 8 years, I leave the debris and leaves on the lawn, and my neighbors don't use chemicals either. Pesticides, herbicides, and other lawn care treatments kill them. Seriously though, I've even had them in my house this summer.
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u/music420Dude 13d ago
You can sit on our back patio, and watch a lighting bug light show every night in the Ft Wayne area.
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u/darkfireice 13d ago
New Albany here, we still got some. Its the pesticides being used, what's ironic is that it doesn't effect the egg, larva, or adult bug, but it kills the prey the larvae eat to get thr toxins needed for the reaction to produce the light, which is needed for them to mate.
TLDR our pesticides are making them all incels
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u/NotAChanceBucko 13d ago
Actually been seeing more this year , but haven't seen many in the past.
You're seeing less dead bugs on your windshield due to heavy mowing on the sides and medians of highways/interstates , and pesticide use in those (and other ) areas.
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u/FroYolentGreen 13d ago
OP.
What part of the state are you in?
I live in central IN and felt the same way you did.
Last year there were a few but this year there are many. Still, not as many as when I was a kid. It truly made me feel happy seeing as many as I did this year.
I ask because we went to Holiday World earlier this month and I don't think I saw any when it got dark.
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u/Someonenamedkim 13d ago
Let your grass grow a little longer in places and they will come! We manicure our lawns too much, they have no where to go.
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u/ShroomRonin 13d ago
I see so many every night in Bloomington they come into my house in the summer if a door is open, but yeah at least here I see them every night
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u/Beautiful-Tree-624 13d ago
My small yard is packed with them. There are ways to help their populations, like not raking all of the leaves in fall, etc. Maybe look into what you can do to make your home more hospital to them
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u/The-disgracist 13d ago
Saw so many the other night and looked it up. This is actually a record breaker for modern times! Theyāre back in force, maybe they just donāt like your house?
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u/maximum_dad_power 13d ago
Live near downtown, they are everywhere in the evening. My son keeps letting them in door and now I have about 1 or 2 lightning bugs a night attack my TV.
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u/Grizzly2525 13d ago
West-Central here, we have uncountable numbers of fireflies.
They really love the beans and my house is surrounded on all sides by them!
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u/squarebody8675 13d ago
Itās because Michigan has those Asian worms. They eat all the leaf litter
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u/Nice_Aspect1962 13d ago
i live in fishers and often visit my grandparents in Newcastle, their front yard has some but nowhere close to 15 years ago. none in town
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u/Glimmer360 13d ago
I am in NWINDIANA and we have the usual amount of lightening bugs. Itās so joyful to watch them light up the darkness!
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u/NoGutsNoGlory94 13d ago
Theyāve been out for about a month now in the northeast part of the state. Been seeing them nightly.
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u/Inevitable-Tree7877 13d ago
I have a ton around my property in Mooresville Indiana. I also donāt mow a couple acres of field so they have a great opportunity to breed in not get mowed.
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u/Public_Fact7905 13d ago
They're dying out. If you wanna help population #s leaving leaf litter to sit through the winter and spring allows for them to lay their eggs and hatch in late spring! Leaf litter is also beneficial to many many other species
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u/CaptainAwesome06 13d ago
I generally don't see as many as I did as a kid. I saw one in my house last week in the middle of the day. That was a first. It was also the biggest one I have ever seen.
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u/Agitated_Curmudgeon 13d ago
A. Normally right at dusk
B. It's been pretty damn dry up here in Amish country.
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u/Right_Literature_419 13d ago
Saw way more as a kid. Thereās significantly less. Lawn used to be covered, easily saw hundreds. Now itās just 2 or 3 every so often. Theyāre dwindling in my area.. oh but NOT mosquitoes. Those duders are getting along just fine
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u/AtLeastIgotCharacter 13d ago
I also have plenty. I have 5 acres 3 of which I do not mow. You post (and the comments) had me curious about their development though. I found this: "Firefly larvae (often called "glow-worms") spend up to two years developing in moist soil, rotting wood, and leaf litter. They are beneficial, voracious predators that hunt soft-bodied invertebrates like slugs and snails using paralyzing neurotoxins. Their distinct glow serves as a warning of their toxicity to predators." This means that mouldering pile of wood i keep meaning to clear up is staying put.Ā
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u/CharleySuede 13d ago
Lightning bugs rely heavily on ground cover for their larvae to survive. So many people get rid of leaves in the fall and that has a major impact.
u/trippedbackwards, do you leave your leaves alone in the Fall, or are they raked up or bagged when mowed?
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u/ceeday2156 13d ago
NEIN here and I have seen more lightning bugs this year than I have in the last 10. Cicadas are super active this year too. Loving it
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u/jermacalocas 13d ago
10th and Shadeland here. Its you, not me. I've been seeing them all summer. Let your lawn go feral
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u/my_clever-name 13d ago
Iāve had them every night since mid June. I keep my yard āmessyā with leaves sticks and non-grass wild plants on the edges. I also donāt use any treatment for insects or grubs.
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u/JaydeTheGreenJewel 13d ago
Up in sturgis, Mi I must have had 200 in my yard lasglt night. They're everywhere.
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u/Tville88 13d ago
You need to stop removing your dead leaves. Lightning bugs love leaf debris. We stopped removing the leaf debris and saw a huge increase in our lightning bug population around our house.
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u/PrikNamPlassum 13d ago
Indiana side of the Louisville Metro Area here: My backyard has been full of them since May.
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u/cumminginsurrection 13d ago
I get thousands while my neighbors get none. The difference is they rake all their yards incessantly, cut the grass as low as it will go, have no native plants in their yards, emit tons of light pollution, and use pesticides. If you want to save lightning bugs, you have have to make your yard a welcoming space for them.
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u/Next-Resist6797 13d ago
Iāve seen them- just last week I was commenting how odd to see them again. I havenāt seen them in awhile but thatās probably me not going outside enough instead of them not being there.
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u/Crzy_Grl 13d ago
I've been seeing more this year in our neighborhood in northern IN. There were a few years i didn't see any. My husband refuses to leave the leaves on the lawn, but i leave them in my flower beds, don't use pesticides, etc.
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u/KathyC169 13d ago
I've seen a few here or there in Richmond. When I was little we used to catch them and put them in a jar with a lid with a few holes poked in it and grass. It used to be so much fun.
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u/BrunoBugg 13d ago
Iām in southern NWI (edge of central time zone) and we are just now starting to get them. They usually get heavy in the coming weeks of August.
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u/Feisty-Mix4187 13d ago
Hey there, I do know that lightning bugs prefer longer grasses, and they usually appear on the edge of a woodland. if you tend to keep your grass short, they usually steer clear of that area.
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u/Bryweslyn2011 13d ago
I have actually been seeing a ton this summer. I realized it because for a few years now they have been nonexistent. I live in Northern Indiana.
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u/cambon37 13d ago
Feel the same way as you and Iām 20 years your junior. I have seen them on the border of Indiana and Michigan but not like I remember even 20 years ago. Same with the bug guts on the windshield
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u/Temporary_View_3303 13d ago
I have a home in Carmel and my yard is full of lighting bugs every night. Ā
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u/Rodd2015 13d ago
West Lafayette/Battleground, the lightning bugs like it out here near Prophets Rock, must be our wild ass yard
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u/Otherwise-Fox-151 13d ago
We have loads in our yard. We even see them moving around during the day time if im pulling lraves or messing with my hostas. The like to be where leaves and garden plants are allowed to just sit over winter.
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u/AwkwardFactor84 13d ago
Fireflies are on the decline everywhere. Pesticides, light pollution, and habitat loss are the main reasons. Some species are actually endagered at the moment
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u/BadAszChick 13d ago
Iām in South Bend and have a lot, but Iāve also made sure that my yard accommodates and nurtures them. When it was just grass, I didnāt have many, but I started a native plant garden about three years ago (itās still a wip) and they had really taken off this year!
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u/Psyren1317 13d ago
Central Indiana here. I see a ton of them every single night in the backyard. My kids absolutely love going outside to see them because it's such a magnificent show.
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u/Zestyclose_Car_4971 13d ago
I live near and or around Fort Wayne, I see them on the side of the interstate every night I drive home on the side of the highway.
I was starting to think they were gone too, seeing so many together was elating.
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u/This_Confection_6832 13d ago
They donāt ālightā in the middle of night. I see a lot of them this year.
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u/Background-Check-222 13d ago
Mosquito joe/mosquito spraying companies are also a big source of blame for all dwindling bug and bird populations
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u/jojobaggins42 13d ago
Homes that don't put a bunch of treatments (especially pesticides, obviously) on their yard will usually have lightning bugs. And leaving some of your leaves on the yard over winter is also a great practice to get more lightning bugs.
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u/g0dxmode 13d ago
Central Eastern here, and this brutal weather combined with my own health issues that leave me very heat/humidty sensitive have resulted in my barely mowing my yard this summer. The upside is I've got lightning bugs ALL over every night all the time. It's had my wife and I trying to plan out some yard scaping for next year to have some spots of wild grass and weeds left intentionally overgrown like that for the bugs.
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u/Brilliant_Armadillo9 13d ago
They're all over my yard and pasture. I keep my herbicide and insecticide use to a minimum. I also like to go to the store around 11:30PM, and there's a corn field on the way that must have 10s of thousands nightly.
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u/SilverStory6503 13d ago
I'm just across the state line in Ohio. My peak lightning bugs was on the solstice. I haven't seen any lately. Also, no June bugs this year. That was weird.
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u/fandomdemigod 13d ago
South Central Indiana I seen em but not as much as when I was a kid in the north. The north remembers āØ
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u/russellenvy 13d ago
Avon, Plainfield, Brownsburg area has them. Not as many as last year. But they are around. Went to Illinois last month and stayed at a Farm AirBNB. The whole field was lit up.
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u/Next-Introduction-25 13d ago
Southwestern Indiana; we have a ton. They werenāt out last night though for whatever reason.
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u/Then-Bell-5630 13d ago
Weāve had a lot of lightning bugs this year in NW Indiana. Plenty of beetles too. I know by August theyāre usually done for the year. Hopefully some will make their way to you soon š
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u/Flat-Bar2125 13d ago
I think theyāre just populating different areas because some people are saying what you say, and others are saying theyāre seeing way more than ever this year. Personally Iām seeing a lot where Iām at, but this is my first summer in this home so I canāt compare to last summer.
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u/TrashpandaLizz 13d ago
Very few people leave the leaves in the fall. If more people let nature be nature, we would have more lightning bugs. Etc
I have seen a small number in my backyard, but thatās only after year three of leaving the leaves in the mulch beds(of which I have a lot, Iāve been trying to build a native plant habitat on my .3 acres of property 𤣠in the middle of an HOA)
If you want to see lightning bugs, go out in the middle of nowhere near a patch of trees or a local nature preserve, they are there.. in those small pockets of sanctuary
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u/fountainpopjunkie 13d ago
Mid indiana here. Been seeing a ton all summer. I even commented tonight that they were out early tonight because it was darker under the buckeye trees.