Comments on: What do lightning bugs eat? How to welcome fireflies to your garden

By: Jessica Walliser

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:30:39 +0000

In reply to Johnette.

Hi Johnette – It sounds like a wondrous place to live! Enjoy all the joys of nature.

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By: Johnette

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:37:23 +0000

Growing up in Fort Pierce FL in the mid 50s/60s we saw them all the time. We haven’t seen them in years. We moved to VT in 2010 until 2012 and imagine my utter surprise to see thousands of of them blinking everywhere. We moved home and I bought 10 acres in Fellsmere FL and I saw thousands of dragonflies in multiple colors this summer and was absolutely thrilled. In 70 years I had never seen red, blue, and even purpleish iridescent colors that took my breath away. It saddened me to mow as I could tell the longer grass was their habitat. Some areas are wetter than others and almost the entire 10 acres except for the eastern 3/4 are pasture and we have deer bedding down in an area that has really thick long Lucious grass growing on it. We have a pair of sand hill cranes that had 2 chicks and left the pasture growing untill the chicks were old enough. It was a true delight watch them, the pair of hawks that nest in the 30 oak trees along with quail and so many other species that I haven’t seen in years. We were blessed to find property where everyone must have a minimum of 10 acres so it is down a long dirt road and I pray it stay this way forever!! I want so much to see lightning bugs again one day and I have seen hummingbirds for the first time at a friends property nearby so I will be happily providing for as many as possible come next year when we are permanently living there!

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By: Tara Nolan

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:32:36 +0000

In reply to Maeghan.

Hi Maeghan,
I haven’t found anything that says they do, but I would reach out to the Xerces Society to be sure.

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By: Maeghan

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 02:16:09 +0000

We are over run with grubs/moles and then Japanese Beetles in my yard in ME. My yard is destroyed so I was thinking of getting nematodes to help since we don’t use pesticides. Our yard has lots of lady bugs and we are getting more fireflies each year which makes me happy. Will the nematodes harm the larvae? I dont want to harm them but ugh the beetles/grubs/moles – even our fox can’t keep up!

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By: Tara Nolan

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 21:16:41 +0000

In reply to elsa teiga.

Hi Elsa,
That’s so interesting. It sounds like you’re doing the right thing by putting them back outside. The Xerces Society may have more information about this.

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By: elsa teiga

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:06:12 +0000

Hi, I still have some fireflies on my land, even though it is not a complete rural area
But the strange thing is that while in a larvae fase, they enter my house very often.
During a specific time of the year, there is not s single day, that they don’t enter the house.
As I do not know what to do, I pick them up, very gently, and I put them outside.
Hope I’m not doing something wrong.
Thank you very much to offer me the opportunity to speak a little about my experience with these extraordinary little creatures

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By: Tara Nolan

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:33:31 +0000

Hi Joe, Thank you for sharing! It’s so nice to see our efforts to welcome wildlife and beneficial insects to our yards working.

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By: joe

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:51:48 +0000

I noticed in recent years that my little yard was hosting many more fireflies than nearby yards. About ten times as many flashes than the nearby properties.I had read since that having old wood around makes a good breeding ground for them, and that may have been the reason as I had an area where I kept some old branches and leaves.

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