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.

 

[GlueGuy]

We saw them a lot when I lived in the midwest. Pretty rare in California, but I do remember seeing them "somewhere", I just don't remember "where" it was. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Maybe the better half remembers where it was.... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

The GlueGuy

 

[looch]

Lots here in Southern Quebec. Ever have one hit your car windshield and remain lit? Pretty weird.

 

[OregonTom]

None here in Oregon that I have ever seen. I remember them from growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, though. I miss 'em!

OregonTom

 

[Boondox]

Vermont has loads of 'em. They drive the cats crazy!

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[MarkV]

We get a few down here in Georgia, but nothing like I remember as a kid in Illinois.

MarkV

 

[patrickg]

Bird,
You must have forgotten to look after sundown or something! I'm in South Central Oklahoma (25 east of I-35, 30 south of I-40. We are innundated. My wife and I sit out in the late twilight 2100 or so (9PM) and watch them (we aren't into TV so much) The numbers have been increasing steadily for the last several weeks. We mused the other night about how we were so grown up, adult, and reserved and offered as proof that we weren't catching them, waiting for them to turn on, and then pinching their tails off and sticking it on a finger as the set in a ring. Keeps glowing for quite a while. Strange how watching Luciferin being energized by Luciferase is so mesmerizing. It has been since the 50's when I read what it was that made them glow so if I botched it or science has been revised, I appologize.

 

[Bird]

Patrick, you're in the country I was born and raised in, but I moved down to the Dallas area in '56./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Maybe that's the difference; the fire flies are still in Oklahoma; just don't come on south; too hot maybe?

Bird

 

[RPM]

Boondox,

Funny you should mention that - I was just outside watching our two kittens race around and try and catch them. They give up after a while and go and mope - then it just gets too much for them and off they go again!

There are even more out tonight than last - when I look out at the pasture next to me (not mine) that was hayed around 3 weeks ago it looks like it is shimmering after a few minutes.

Just an amazing phenomenon!

By the way, I spent hours when I was younger trying to figure out how to make 'tracer' bb's for my catapult and/or bb gun using fireflies. Never worked though. Seems like the firefly population survived my best efforts!

 

[Bird]

Dang, you guys made me have to go outside tonight to see if I'd been overlooking something, but not a fire fly in sight anywhere.

Bird

 

[glennmac]

I was just out with my dogs looking at them.

Bird, I think you have them but they may be lightning bugs instead of fireflies. For them, you may have to go out into the middle of your pasture, away from all the house lights. And, since you're an hour earlier than us in the east, you should do your looking later. Elementary entomology, you see.