Bring fireflies back to your yard with these 4 simple changes

Is there any backyard bug more magical than a firefly? The wee, glowing beetles light up summer gardens with delicate, dreamy flashes—their way of attracting mates. Kids have long loved catching the critters in mason jars, but you may have noticed there seem to be far fewer around these days, putting this delightful childhood tradition at risk. But the good news is that a few simple yard changes can bring fireflies back.

According to Dr. Marcus Griswold, entomologist and founder of Your Bug Club, there are at least 2,000 species of fireflies, which are found on six continents. But as many as one in three species are currently at risk for extinction, due to everything from light pollution to pesticide use. And yet lending a helping hand to lightning bugs, as they’re called in some parts of the U.S., is actually much easier than you might think.

“Fostering a place where fireflies thrive requires less work, not more,” says Certified Master Arborist Basil Camu, the co-founder of Leaf & Limb, a Nature-first tree and land care company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Why? Because doing so means working with Nature rather than fighting against it, which requires fewer tasks and inputs. Be patient, though. I have restored fireflies to multiple properties, and in my experience, this usually takes three to four growing seasons.”

Ahead, we’ll answer all your questions about the best ways to bring fireflies back to your yard, beginning with the biggie:

How can I attract fireflies to my garden?

As Basil notes, persistence pays off when creating a welcoming home for fireflies in your yard. Mostly it’s about what you don’t do, rather than what you do, so the good news is that the following tips require more of a mindset shift than any kind of backbreaking labor. Here’s what the experts advise:

1. Leave the leaf litter

One of the biggest culprits contributing to the decline of fireflies (and other insect species) is the erasure of their habitat. During the two years fireflies spend as larvae, they live in decaying leaves, rotting wood, and soil. When we clean up yard “waste,” we can unwittingly kill young fireflies.

Instead of bagging leaves and dragging piles of pruned branches and deadfall to the curb, leave it in your yard. It means less work for you, and as Basil notes, “None of this has to look messy. Leaves tucked into beds under your trees and a brush pile in a back corner read as intentional, not neglected. If you are still concerned, add a sign explaining what you’re doing. I have found that an educational sign turns potentially upset neighbors into curious learners.”

2. Stop using pesticides

According to Marcus, the use of pesticides is another leading cause of declining firefly populations. They’re particularly deadly to firefly larvae. “Any lawn treatments and pesticides you apply seep into their skin, killing them or impacting their health,” he says. “Try to especially avoid pesticides that kill grubs (since firefly larvae are grubs), neonicotinoids, and organophosphates. Try manual weed control first and create safe spaces that can support fireflies where you do not spray.”

3. Welcome that wet patch

Ever notice how fireflies seem more active on humid evenings? That’s because they need moist, muddy conditions to thrive. In fact, some species even have gills in their larval stage, Marcus says. Consider adding a water source or two to your yard (you can include a mosquito dunk if you’re worried about the biting pests).

Or, you can just leave that wet spot in your yard you’ve been wanting to get fixed, says Clare Horne, the founder of Nashville, Tennessee–based The Grass Girl, which specializes in native pollinator gardens and lawn-less garden design. “That soggy low corner you’ve been meaning to grade or drain is the best ground you own for fireflies,” she adds. “Larvae only grow when the soil is warm and wet.”

4. Turn off the lights

Fireflies attract mates with their blinking glow, so your outdoor lights are seriously cramping their style. Shut them off, or at least consider installing motion sensors. “If it’s too bright, fireflies are unable to mate successfully since potential mates cannot see their signal,” Basil says. “This is especially true at dusk, when fireflies are at peak courtship. Reducing lighting will also save money on electricity and provide a welcome relief for other insects and birds that also need dark spaces.”

What do fireflies eat?

It’s a good question, but one you might be sorry you asked, and not just because you’ll need to put down those handy slug pellets. “Firefly larvae are predators, and slugs (along with snails and worms) are the entire menu,” Clare says. “A larva tracks a slug by its slime trail, climbs aboard, and injects enzymes until the slug becomes a slug soup it can drink (shudder). The pellets take away the food and poison the firefly larva in the same stroke.”

Some adult fireflies have a similarly bloodthirsty nature, cannibalizing other fireflies. Others eat nectar or pollen, with some dining on nothing at all during their typically two-month-long lifespan. It all depends on the species, of which there are a whopping 172 in North America alone.

What flowers attract fireflies?

In short, native ones. Flowers native to your particular area, that bloom throughout the summer, should help sustain nectar- and pollen-consuming fireflies. That may include everything from various aster varieties to goldenrod, morning glory, cardinal flower, coneflower, bee balm, and many more. But even better than planting a few native species is converting a section of your lawn into a native meadow. If that sounds like a tall order, it isn’t. Really.

“Fireflies love these spaces, where tall stems give females a perch to signal from and young larvae can grow in the lower layers,” Basil says. “This may seem daunting, but if you plant a native meadow from seed, you will invest approximately the same amount of effort as you would caring for a lawn. But then, when the meadow is established after two to three growing seasons, you will only have to cut the space once per year, which is much less work than a traditional turf.”

Can I buy fireflies for my yard?

Nope. Because adult fireflies have such a short lifespan, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to find them for sale anywhere. And even if you can, you shouldn’t buy them. It’s not a good idea to introduce nonnative firefly species into an environment. Instead, work on supporting and welcoming native fireflies into your garden.

Once you do, Basil hopes you’ll follow what he calls the most important instruction of all: “When the Jewels of the Night do return to your property, blinking cheerfully as the evening light slowly disappears, take a moment to enjoy the wonder. This is proof positive that we can make a difference.”