Fight this by not bagging your leaves. Leave some for our buddies! blog.nwf.org/…/leave-the-leaves-to-save-fireflies…
I'm not okay.
Submitted 2 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/694262f5-24ed-4edd-b8b3-e0e8d9d89c07.jpeg
Comments
Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
I have participated in No Mow May for three years now. I also have a spot in the yard I let be free (weeded it for invasives) for the same amount of time.
This summer, for the first time since I have lived here, exsists an abundance of fireflys in my yard. They are everywhere, in a way I’ve never seen since I was a child.
No Mow May, (even if just a part of your yard) gives insects a place. Bugs live in the leaves and natural debris, by keeping it undisturbed, from fall to winter is important for many bugs’ survival.
If you like bugs, consider dedicating space in your yard for them to live. Don’t keep grass in the typical american perfect lawn way. I suggest not to spray, and look at native grasses and plants first when seeking your landscaping needs.
I’ve noticed a real difference this year in my yard. Maybe its some coincidence, I don’t know. Either way I’m happy to see lightning bugs again
yucandu@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Upon further investigation, it appears that only SOME species of fireflies are at risk of extinction. Others are so common they are of “least concern”.
If foreign propaganda bots are bombarding us with doomer memes to instill apathy and depression in the younger generation, this fits.
CptOblivius@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Maybe, but I haven’t seen one in decades in our area. Used to see them every summer. I’ve thought about that for a while, even before this.
pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
leave them leaves unraked
entwine413@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Same here, but if I drive a few miles out of the city, they’re out and about.
TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Just to be sure, have you lived at the same address for all these years? I haven’t, so it’s hard to compare then & now for me.
Kyrrrr@lemmynsfw.com 2 months ago
Is this the most meta depression bot?
BassTurd@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Used to catch them growing up. There would be thousands of them periodically blinking in the yard and across the field every night. I was pretty and serene.
I saw one just the other night when I let my dogs out before going to bed. It was so surprising that I had to wait a minute and verify I wasn’t just seeing things. It was a real life lightning bug. It was a happy sad moment.
squaresinger@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I can’t remember when I last saw fireflies. They used to be quite common 25 years ago when I was a kid. Damn, time flies and I’m getting old. And fire apparently doesn’t fly any more.
Retrograde@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Damn, fireflies too?
BassTurd@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Firefly == lightning bug
Podicipedidae@mander.xyz 2 months ago
Fireflies are fascinating and beautiful creatures. Another user mentioned donating to xerces society which is a great idea. Another thing that you can do if you are fortunate enough to own land is to replace your lawn (non-native, mowed grass) with native plants and leave the fallen leaves undisturbed.
I replaced my entire lawn with species native to my region and my entire yard is currently covered in multiple species of fireflies. It’s so magical to see all the different colors and flashing patterns. Mind you, I live in the city so it’s only my yard that is really providing for them. All my neighbors’ yards have either no fireflies or a few.
You don’t have to replace your entire lawn like I did. Just setting aside some space for our wildlife neighbors is better than nothing. Remember plants are the foundation of almost every food web. For me, it’s magical to go outside and see the new blooms and growth, look for new creatures that show up, and just walk the little paths in my small yard. In an age of ecologic collapse and climate change it gives me some sense that I can have a measurable, positive impact and that really helps me mentally.
alzymologist@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
I do not have a lawn, I have several ha of forest and grassland. I have about 25 nest boxes for wild birds, occupied 2/3 (last year I had a huge owl living in one!) and countless other nests, several snakes, snails and frogs, lynx and I see bear tracks and scats now and then. I keep bees and allow wasps to build wherever they like, there are lots of bumblebees everywhere and birds sure have something to eat. I mulch a lot and keep loads of rotting leaves. I mow with scythe when I absolutely have to clear small area. I know there are fireflies in Finland.
Never saw a single blink.
Podicipedidae@mander.xyz 2 months ago
I don’t know European firefly species ranges. I’m fortunate enough to live in a region with multiple species ranges overlap. What species are in your region and what are their ranges?
Regardless, your land sounds beautiful. Thanks for being a good neighbor to the wildlife!
MarcomachtKuchen@feddit.org 2 months ago
What a beautiful paragraph to read. Thank you for sharing
Podicipedidae@mander.xyz 2 months ago
That’s really nice of you to say. Thank you for your kindness!
Seasm0ke@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Stop raking your leaves
starman2112@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Oh yeah? What next, don’t mow my lawn every day?
glitch1985@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Y’all have trees?
T156@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You can get them fresh from the factory. Sure, they need 96 batteries each, but beats all that nasty wood and bugs.
Seasm0ke@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yes and I planted some of em :3
lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
You would not believe your eyes if ten fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep
OKRainbowKid@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
I understood this reference.
bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Go minnesota!
AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
TIL Owl City is from Owatonna
weariedfae@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
I moved to Minnesota in the early 2000s and was blown away by all of the fireflies. It was magical. I’ll never forget snuggling up with someone and watching the fireflies during a thunder storm.
The decline was unbelievably rapid. The last 6 years I was there I’d maybe see one or two the whole summer. If that.
It’s so sad because they’re truly wondrous creatures.
bathing_in_bismuth@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
They got Roundup
Fourth@mander.xyz 1 month ago
Over the weekend I saw an incredible display of the blue Ghost Firefly right up in my face while camping in Pisgah. What a thing. I have been reforming my entire yard to facilitate insects. This year I did have a significant amount of fireflies compared to years past. Things can change and get better. They might not, but we might as well try for good.
Ekybio@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Source? :(
Please I need to know!
fossilesque@mander.xyz 2 months ago
P00ptart@lemmy.world 2 months ago
One night in ft Gordon we were doing an FTX and we got out there late and set up the tents in the dark, n in a field of tall grass. No sooner than the tents were set up, an intense rainstorm came through and dumped a metric fuckton of rain in 15-20 minutes. And as quickly as it started, it was over. Afterwards there were so many fireflies it looked like a fantasy movie. I had never seen anything like that. I’ve been all over the world, hell I grew up in Boulder, on of the most beautiful places on earth, but I’ve never seen anything even close to that. It was absolutely magical. And my kid gets so excited to see 2 or 3 and it makes me want to cry.
2ugly2live@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I saw lightening bugs for the first time in years when I moved to the east coast. I was so excited, I caught some and brought them inside to show my cat (I let them back out of course). Next year, nada. So far this year? Also nada. I even made a point to leave the leaves. 😔
aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
I don’t even see butterflies anymore. Sad.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
I have probably seen a total of three bees in person in the past 10 years.
aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
How fucking depressing is it. Meanwhile, republicans are doing everything they can do fuck us over even more.
EddoWagt@feddit.nl 1 month ago
But it all isn’t real because sometimes its still cold
xx3rawr@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
I haven’t seen a butterfly during most of my teenage years but have seen a resurgence last few years because gardening as a hobby became huge for mothers and young adults alike.
My mother used to have a small but lushful garden when I was a child but she wasn’t able to maintain as many plants because busy and budget.
SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
Me but with ladybugs
bathing_in_bismuth@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
I saw more this year than previous years. I wonder what legislation passed locally
bonsai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
I miss seeing these everywhere in the summer as a kid. Guess I just aged myself like, but I did see some in the park last night. Nowhere near as many as years ago though.
Tinks@lemmy.world 1 month ago
This is kind of wild to me. This year we’re seeing more fireflies in my yard than we have in a long time. My husband and I have been commenting on it. At night there’s an awesome light show and it’s kind of awesome. Whatever is happening in my neighborhood they definitely like!
BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 1 month ago
It’s likely because of the recent storms causing leaf and vegetation clutter, which is what they like to hide in during the day, where they lay eggs, and where they live.
You clearing your yard of all the leaves into non-biodegradable plastic bags into the dumpster and having an ugly as fuck monoculture green front lawn isn’t helping these insects recover from being at risk of going extinct.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I’ve been so happy to see them in our yard this year. Enough so that I’ve stopped clearing brush just in case that’s why they’re here in such numbers. I haven’t seen them like this in a decade or more.
RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I had wondered why we always seemed to have some fireflies here and it turned out my hatred of raking and leaving the leaves under the bushes helped a lot!
theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The dad then joins his son laying on the floor and crying
Verito@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Lantern files, on the other hand… Oh, wait, oh fuck.
klemptor@startrek.website 1 month ago
The spotty yeety boi is so pretty but it can go fuck itself
Rooskie91@discuss.online 2 months ago
I convinced my inlaws to stop bagging or raking their leaves a few years ago, and they’re everywhere now. Not as many as if the whole neighborhood has done it, but more than when I met them.
HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
klemptor@startrek.website 1 month ago
Man I feel lucky, there are a ton of lightning bugs in my yard
RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 1 month ago
There’s so many here at the Rustbolt homestead.
It’s like Lampyridae Ft. Lauderdale.
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 1 month ago
It was only a few, but, I did see some while camping this weekend.
4grams@awful.systems 1 month ago
Same, been camping twice this summer and both times I was taken aback and both seeing them (it’s become so rare), and how few there were. Used to be swarms of them in my backyard, not I go camping just to see 3 of them.
yucandu@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Wikipedia says the species near me (southern Ontario) are of Least Concern for extinction:
Manitobruh@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Thats good to hear! When I was a kid I remember going camping near Kingston and the bushes were so bright with them. Incredible experience.
godlessworm@hexbear.net 2 months ago
thats okay. we dont need things that dont make capitalists more money.
Kuori@hexbear.net 2 months ago
capitalism will kill us all, starting with the smallest and most defenseless
alzymologist@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
I’ve seen them once in my life, in Smoky Mountains, about 10 years ago. It was pretty much spiritual experience. The darkness came alive. I cried when I saw their luciferase smeared over windshield and glowing long after the creature was dead. I knew lots of lore about them, saw them in mass culture - never realizing I never saw one myself, even though I take care to notice all living things around, from bacteria and yeast to mycchorizal networks.
I live in Europe.
A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Aww bless. That’s where I live. My yard is still full of em at night, I’ve made sure of it.
SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Well at least we’ll still have lightning bugs, right.
jawa22@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
This is a wild concept to me. I see hundreds if not thousands every night in the summer.
floo@retrolemmy.com 2 months ago
They were everywhere when I was a kid. I haven’t seen one in years.
They were so delightful, and I miss them.
A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I stopped mowing super regularly and my yard is full of em
Let the weeds grow
wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Same
They’re back, and they’re happy with my new of a lawn.
I don’t think my lawn will ever look like a golf course, there was an above ground pool at one point so one area is packed densely and full of gravel sized rocks.
We threw down some clover, there’s wild strawberry, one spot has mint (I’ve been told trying to remove it is a sisyphusian task). It’s cozy now, and I guess the fireflies like cozy, and I like watching them from my patio.
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Yeah, fireflies lay eggs on dead leaves. The ultra-clean suburban yards are killing firefly populations, because people keep raking up the fireflies breeding material and throwing it away in plastic trash bags. A perfectly kept lawn is an ecological wasteland, and suburban trends have expanded that wasteland for miles at a time. It’s no wonder fireflies have struggled to survive.
Want to see fireflies? Stop raking your lawn. If you don’t like the way the leaves look, mulch them with a lawn mower early in the season, so they can blend in with the grass. But don’t just fucking rake them up and throw them away.
shoo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
While it’s better than keeping a barren monoculture lawn, keep in mind that letting things grow with no intervention will get you a lot of invasive species. If you want healthier habitat for your critters try to keep an eye on what’s growing and replace the bad stuff with native options.
lightnsfw@reddthat.com 2 months ago
Yea, theres a big overgrown patch behind the house and we have them all over. It’s nice to see. I like to sit out and watch them while the sun goes down. It’s relaxing. Theres a bunch of other critters that come out around that time to so it’s interesting. I watched a couple of raccoons take apart my neighbors bird feeder last night.
Another bug I haven’t seen in forever is grasshoppers. I used to catch buckets of those things when I was a kid and I don’t think I’ve seen more than a couple in years.
Zink@programming.dev 1 month ago
Just the other day my son was chasing the fireflies in our front yard.
…That front yard I was feeling bad about not mowing because the weeds mixed in with the grass quickly grow tall flowers above the head.
I think I want to keep helping those blinky-bois.
FireRetardant@lemmy.world 2 months ago
YMMV but i still see lots right around dusk at the edges of wetland areas. Not denying they are threatened but there are still some places they are able to live and those places should be protected. Wetlands do a lot more for us ecologically and hydrologically speaking than just fireflies anyway and are one of the most important ecosystems to be protected.
Sc00ter@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
We just moved to a house with over an acre and a creek that runs through the back yard and we have them all over the place right now.
My dog had never seen them before and i caught him this week trying to eat them. One would flash and he’d chomp towards it, then another would and he seemed confused on how it got over there so fast and hed chomp that direction. It was precious
Devadander@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Don’t rake your leaves
rumba@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
They were everywhere in the mid-Atlantic 20 years ago.
I saw one little blinky buddy on my back door last night. I looked out, he was the only one. I shut my porch light off in hopes that he would wonder off and find some friends.
floo@retrolemmy.com 2 months ago
I mentioned in another comment that it must’ve been 8 to 10 years ago when I was sitting in the backyard of some bar in Brooklyn, the middle of summer, that I saw the last one. And I was sitting with a bunch of friends, and I pointed out that it was the only one, and that this might be the last one any of us ever see.
Now I made myself sad
AFaithfulNihilist@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’ve seen two this year.
I’ve seen More bald eagles land in the yard year than I have seen lightning bugs.
neidu3@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, mostly down to the Latitude I live at.
2009 radio compensated for it heavily, though.
floo@retrolemmy.com 2 months ago
I’ve only ever seen them at sea level, in warm and humid places, usually during the middle to later months of the summer.
For context, I grew up in the 80s and 90s as a kid, and that’s when you used to see a lot of them. But ever since then, they become rare and rare. I knew that, eventually, they’d probably go extinct. I realize this back in the 90s or something.
If I really think about it, the last time I saw one might’ve been between eight and 10 years ago. And I only saw one. And I was sitting in the backyard of a bar in Brooklyn, during a very hot humid summer night after it had been raining, and I was sitting with a bunch of friends and then mentioned to them that this may be the last firefly you ever see.
I really am sad that was right
jol@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
How often are you in a place and time and state of mind to stop and see the fireflies though? The problem is both ecological and cultural IMO.
floo@retrolemmy.com 2 months ago
I don’t think my state of mind has anything to do with whether or not I see fireflies, but the times and places I go haven’t really changed over the last 15 to 20 years. The number of fireflies I see at those times and in those places, on the other hand, has dramatically changed.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. I now feel sad that I may never.