According to legend, when Great Great Uncle Mike arrived from Ireland and spent his first night in what is now McMahon Park, he saw fireflies for the very first time. Convinced they were fairies- the wee folk- he feared for his life and spent the night in a ditch.
OK, maybe not to the extent that Uncle Mike thought, but there really is something magic about them.
The sun sets, the air stays warm, then cue the frogs and crickets.
And then one yellow green light appears. Then another.
And before long, the whole place is twinkling.
As we develop our campsite, we ask, what do we have to do to keep the cool little buggers coming back year after year. But what we found is, it’s less about what you do and more about what you don’t do that creates a favorite firefly hang out.
They really are magic, but no worries, Uncle Mike. Here’s what fireflies are really all about.
Firefly Magic
Fireflies aren’t rare, but they seem like it sometimes.
Maybe it’s because they only come out for a short stretch each year. Maybe it’s because they don’t bite and they keep nice and quiet. Just flickers of light decorating the country landscape.
Around here, that window starts to open in late June. Then it’s fully in swing in early July. With the warmer nights, a little humidity in the air, the fields come alive with light.
By late July, it slows but is still there.
So, like Uncle Mike, we ask, what are those things anyway?
Not flies. Not faeries.
They’re actually beetles. And that light isn’t flashing at random.
Each species has its own rhythm—slow pulses, quick flashes, sometimes even waves that move across a field like a heartbeat. It’s a conversation happening, easy to miss if you don’t know the language. Easy to see once you do.
How They Light Up
Inside a firefly is a simple reaction.
A compound meets oxygen. An enzyme speeds things up. And instead of heat, it gives off light.
No wasted energy. No heat. Just light.
If you’ve ever caught a firefly and watched it light up in your cupped hand, you can truly appreciate how cool this trick is.
What Attracts Fireflies to an Area
What brought fireflies to our land in the first place was the mix of woods and fields, the creek running through, and the pockets of tall grass.
Fireflies don’t need much, but they do need the right feel.
They like it a little wild. A little damp. A little dark.
The females tend to stay low, tucked into grass or along the edges, while the males drift above, flashing their patterns. Back and forth. Call and response.
It’s quiet, but it’s constant.
And if the conditions are right, they keep coming back.
Letting Them Stay
So how do you get fireflies to stick around and continue with their summer light shows?
It’s in the things you don’t do.
Not mowing every inch of grass. Letting some edges stay soft and natural. Leaving a bit of leaf cover in the woods instead of cleaning everything up.
It’s in the way you handle light, too.
Too much of it, and their signals disappear. What feels nicely lit to us can completely wash them out and make their signaling ineffective for mating. When things are kept a little darker, that’s when they really come alive.
And then there’s chemicals. Or the lack of them.
Fireflies spend most of their lives in the soil, long before we ever see them glowing. If the ground is alive and not toxic, they’ll be there. If it’s not, they won’t.
Before the Light Show
Saving the best for last, the light show is close to the ending of a firefly’s life.
Most of a firefly’s life happens underground, sometimes for a couple of years. They’re active down there—feeding, growing, becoming what you eventually see drifting through the air on a summer night.
You’re catching the final stage of something that’s been building for a long time.
Not to be taken lightly.
Firefly Trends
Brighter lights. Cleaner (but emptier) landscapes. More chemicals than the land really needs.
It all adds up, and there tends to be less fireflies these days.
But thankfully this isn’t one of those things that has to be permanent.
When you give them the right conditions again, fireflies come back.
This happens gradually but it does happen.
Fireflies and Nights to Remember
It’s dusk. The quiet settles in.
Dinner was amazing, and a fire is already going back at the firepit.
A walk down the trail, along the water and along the forever wild long grass.
And then they’re everywhere, flashing in waves and lighting up the night. Like stars on the ground.
For visitors, this will be a memory to bring away with them.
No financial investment, and no effort other than dimming the lights.
So you were right after all, Uncle Mike.
Those creatures lighting up the night truly are magic.
.
.
.
Photo by Tony Phan on Unsplash
Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash
Photo by Rajesh Rajput on Unsplash
Photo by Sabine Berzina on Unsplash
Photo by Allison Oliphant on Unsplash
