Seeing More Fireflies Than Usual? There’s A Reason For That

I can't count on two hands how many nights my siblings and I fell asleep with a jar full of fireflies we'd caught in the backyard. Now that I'm older I realize that was rather rude to the fireflies (to put it lightly). To this day, few things make me happier than a clear night when the night is lit up by fireflies as far as you can see.

Last night was the first time in quite a while that I saw the number of fireflies I saw when I was younger, and apparently, there is a reason for that. This is the summer of the fireflies according to a new report by Bridge MI.

An uptick in Firefly Populations

The report details that Michigan's warm spring weather followed by a dry stretch led to fireflies maturing at an increased speed, resulting in the large numbers of fireflies we are seeing now.

For those unaware, fireflies glow to find attract mates. Since the fireflies were born early, we're in the middle of mating season hence the large number of fireflies right now.

Why Fireflies Are Disappearing

While we're experiencing a spike in the population right now, Bridge MI says this should be "the best that it will get" due to the population decline, with the two main factors being human development and light pollution. Headlights, street lights, and lights in homes are known to confuse fireflies, leading to decreased reproduction rates.

If you want to find fireflies, they commonly mate around bodies of water or areas with tall grass.