Fire-flies

[RPM]

Seems like we're at the peak of fire-fly / lightning-bug season here in Pennsylvania. I'm sure it comes at different times around the country - or you may not all get these little beasts. Was out last night with my daughter catching them - had a little flashing jar by her bedside last night.

Do you have these where you are?

 

[Bird]

RPM, seems like we had lots of "lightning bugs" in southern Oklahoma when I was a kid, but no more; don't know what happened to them. I saw just a couple one night in the past 6 years.

Bird

 

[Snell]

Northern NY and you can almost see in the dark there are so many of them out every night. I could watch them for hours. Amazing what nature comes up with.

 

[skent]

I'm close to you (Md) and we are GREATLY ILLUMINATED also. Amazing little bugs!

Steve

 

[DocHeb]

We have lived in Southeast Michigan (suburb outside Detroit) for nine years. I can remember a night 4 years ago in June that was HOT - 95 degrees at 10:30. I woke up the kids to come outside to see the fireflies - telling them they would never see anything like it. There were thousands of them - it seemed like every branch and blade of grass had one, and the air was filled. I didn't know my comments would be so prophetic - the next year we saw a few, and last year and this year I haven't seen any.

 

[RobS]

Just started seeing a few these last couple days. It seems they haven't been as prevalent the last several years. We're in Northern Indiana, a mile from Michigan /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Saw one last night. First one I've seen this year. Usually we get a few, sometimes alot. They seem to have their preference for trees and type of trees where they will appear. I think it has something to do with the larval stage and the materials the little bugs need to develop. Ever seen a glow worm? It'll make you draw your hands back real quick. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

SHF

 

[glennmac]

Got em all over now in western CT. Happens every year about this time.

 

[Harv]

Born and raised in California and never seen a firefly.

Would appreciate it if you could send a few million out here -- can't afford to turn on the house lights these days. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Southern Indiana is full of them. We've seen them all summer long for the 3 years we've lived here. Sometimes when they hit the windshield, the tail will glow long after the bug is dead! The kids catch them and put them in jars, just like I did when I was a kid growing up in southern Michigan. What we don't have as much this year is the frogs and crickets. In previous years they were so loud at night I felt like I lived in the deepest jungles of South America, but this year there doesn't seem to be as many. It's been cooler at night so far this year, so maybe later this summer they'll come out in full force.