I remember growing up with them regularly in Florida late 70’s/80’s. Don’t remember seeing them much after that. Then delighted to see them when I was living in Pennsylvania 2010-2020. Im in TN now and saw very few here this summer. Was wondering if it’s the heat?
Also the weird fixation with perfectly manicured lawns with absolutely no debris and no plants touching any other plants.
They like to lay their eggs on leaves and grasses on the ground. Doesn’t mix well with lawn mowers and rakes.
I used to mow my parents property, and I would leave about 1/4 acre unmowed on the side, touching the treeline. They had so many fireflies hanging around the tall grass over the summers.
This summer I moved too far to keep mowing, and they don’t leave anything, and have been complaining they haven’t seen any fireflies all summer.
If I did that my entire yard would be overgrown, because it’s smaller than that lol. I did let the backyard mostly go wild a few years ago, had an interesting mix of native species and invasive. Invasive won by a landslide, even while manually keeping the English ivy in check. Creeping Charlie and purple deadnettle went everywhere. Some areas eroded so much due to lack of turf roots (either outcompeted or succumbed to the combo of early direct light followed by shade most of the day) that it’s basically just big baked bald spots. One of these years I’m going to try and figure something out to repair it… just need the intersection of time and money.
Lol I don’t even have a yard of my own where I live now, and to be fair my parents only have 3/4 total.
The first year I took over lawn maintenance, they had poke weed growing in a 10ft tall forest in basically every space possible, it was the entire summer getting rid of them. Then they had English ivy growing along the base of the house and it was creeping into every crack of the siding and choking out some trees.
Even when trying to let it grow “wild” it’s a ton of work…
I was days from signing to check to remove a couple trees in my yard in Pennsylvania when I stepped out back one night and saw dozens of fireflies in them. I hadn’t seen fireflies in years and decided then and there that the trees had to stay.
Also, a note from other comments, I absolutely never rake my leaves
I remember growing up with them regularly in Florida late 70’s/80’s. Don’t remember seeing them much after that. Then delighted to see them when I was living in Pennsylvania 2010-2020. Im in TN now and saw very few here this summer. Was wondering if it’s the heat?
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Also the weird fixation with perfectly manicured lawns with absolutely no debris and no plants touching any other plants.
They like to lay their eggs on leaves and grasses on the ground. Doesn’t mix well with lawn mowers and rakes.
I used to mow my parents property, and I would leave about 1/4 acre unmowed on the side, touching the treeline. They had so many fireflies hanging around the tall grass over the summers.
This summer I moved too far to keep mowing, and they don’t leave anything, and have been complaining they haven’t seen any fireflies all summer.
If I did that my entire yard would be overgrown, because it’s smaller than that lol. I did let the backyard mostly go wild a few years ago, had an interesting mix of native species and invasive. Invasive won by a landslide, even while manually keeping the English ivy in check. Creeping Charlie and purple deadnettle went everywhere. Some areas eroded so much due to lack of turf roots (either outcompeted or succumbed to the combo of early direct light followed by shade most of the day) that it’s basically just big baked bald spots. One of these years I’m going to try and figure something out to repair it… just need the intersection of time and money.
Lol I don’t even have a yard of my own where I live now, and to be fair my parents only have 3/4 total.
The first year I took over lawn maintenance, they had poke weed growing in a 10ft tall forest in basically every space possible, it was the entire summer getting rid of them. Then they had English ivy growing along the base of the house and it was creeping into every crack of the siding and choking out some trees.
Even when trying to let it grow “wild” it’s a ton of work…
Good point about the tall grasses.
I was days from signing to check to remove a couple trees in my yard in Pennsylvania when I stepped out back one night and saw dozens of fireflies in them. I hadn’t seen fireflies in years and decided then and there that the trees had to stay.
Also, a note from other comments, I absolutely never rake my leaves