How To Make Your Yard Firefly-Friendly

So many people recognize the beauty and importance of fireflies. They’re just as vital for a garden as most pollinators, and many people want to see them fly around their yards. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to make your yard firefly-friendly.

The best way to make your yard firefly-friendly is to plant native plants that produce lots of nectar and pollen. You can also attract fireflies to your yard and garden if you set out some water dishes and let some natural debris sit in your yard. Fireflies often seek shelter in leaf litter, grass clippings, tall grass, and old logs.

Most importantly, you must reduce a lot of the light pollution in your yard, or else fireflies will avoid your property. Follow along as we explore how to make your yard firefly-friendly.

How To Attract Fireflies

1. Don’t Use Chemicals In Your Garden

Whether it be bees and hummingbirds or toads and fireflies, most bugs and animals avoid strong chemicals. You may inadvertently deter fireflies if you use artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides. The smell of chemical pesticides and fertilizers can permeate throughout your yard and deter many bugs and animals.

Your yard can benefit from natural methods, such as compost, which yields more benefits than artificial fertilizers. Pesticides and other chemicals are also as bad for the environment as they are for the bugs and animals near your house. Avoid them altogether if you want to attract fireflies to your yard.

2. Leave Some Debris In Your Yard

Fireflies aren’t the only common insects that are drawn to yard debris. Everything from fallen leaves and twigs to grass clippings and decaying logs can attract fireflies and other bugs. That’s especially true for larval fireflies, which cannot fly but can crawl around in leaf litter and soil.

You don’t need to worry about making your yard look tacky and unkempt. However, it’s worth leaving some fallen leaves, sticks, and logs in your yard. Some people even move fallen leaves, grass clippings, and logs to small pockets of their yards.

That way, you can attract larval fireflies (glowworms) without making your entire yard look messy. Naturally, their adult counterparts will fly around near the glowworms, and the glowworms will eventually grow into fireflies.

3. Plant Pollen Sources

Fireflies may look beautiful, but that’s the least of their amazing qualities. They’re pollinators, which means that attracting them to your yard can save you a lot of trouble in the garden. You can make your yard firefly-friendly if you plant some strong pollen and nectar sources.

That includes coneflowers, goldenrod, asters, sunflowers, and mums. These plants will also attract other pollinators that will help the plants in your yard flourish. Attracting pollinators is more important than ever, considering that some pollinators are endangered, such as monarch butterflies.

Fireflies aren’t technically endangered, but they are considered threatened. This is primarily due to habitat loss in areas where they were once densely populated. As a homeowner, you can do your part to give fireflies a place to eat, nest, and reproduce. 

4. Provide Comfortable Darkness

Light pollution doesn’t do anyone any favors, especially if you’re trying to enjoy a beautiful moonlit night. It can also deter fireflies, as they use their bioluminescent lights to communicate with each other. This is how they also attract mates, which is necessary for their longevity.

Naturally, it’s much harder for fireflies to communicate if they’re surrounded by light pollution. You can make your yard more firefly-friendly if you reduce the amount of artificial lights at night. For example, you should avoid using bright LED lights in your landscaping, as they may deter fireflies.

Provide some comfortable darkness by removing artificial lights and giving fireflies room to communicate. Set your outdoor lights to a motion sensor, so they don’t continually shine. Fireflies aren’t big enough to set such lights off, so you won’t interrupt them.

5. Entice Them With Native Plants

Growing non-native plants is enticing, especially if you’re an experienced gardener with horticultural skills. However, you’re unlikely to attract fireflies and other local wildlife to your yard if you don’t grow native plants. Local bugs and animals rely on native plants for food, nectar, and shelter, so they naturally flock to areas where they’re dense.

Non-native plants don’t attract wildlife as easily, or at least not the bugs and animals you’re looking for. Carefully research native plants that typically thrive in your area to give you some ideas of what to put in your yard. You can expect to have the most luck with plants that produce a lot of pollen and nectar.

Growing native plants carries many other benefits, such as longevity and quick growth. Native plants are typically low maintenance, as they’re meant to grow in your area. You can easily attract fireflies if you stick to native plants that produce lots of pollen and provide shelter.

6. Let Your Lawn Grow Longer

Many people take pride in their lawns, and that’s admirable. However, continually cutting your lawn too short can deter fireflies and other beneficial insects. That said, there is a fine line, as excessively long grass can attract unwanted pests, such as ticks and snakes.

Tall grass attracts fireflies because it gives them a place to rest and hide during the daytime. The grass can protect them from predators and excessive summer heat, especially in shaded areas. That’s especially true if you water your lawn or live in a rainy area.

Tall grass also gives fireflies a safe place for them to spot each other. For example, a firefly may rest in the grass and see another shining its bioluminescent lights above. Think twice before cutting your grass as short as you usually do if you want to attract fireflies.

7. Offer Them Water

Like many bugs, fireflies need water to live, and they love spending time in damp areas. You’re unlikely to attract fireflies if you don’t provide plenty of water for them. Even something as simple as a small bird bath, water dish, or pond can help you attract fireflies to your garden.

You can even create a small water basin in a spot that is surrounded by plants and leaf litter. That way, the fireflies will feel comfortable and safe to drink the water without fearing predators. Otherwise, you can create a makeshift bog in your yard by digging a small trench and filling it with water.

The trench will naturally refill when it rains or you run your sprinklers. Otherwise, you can ensure they have enough to drink if you water your lawn and plants thoroughly each day.

Summing It Up

A chemical-free environment is the key to a firefly-friendly yard. It’s also important to keep your grass somewhat long to provide shelter to fireflies and to have pollen-dense plants in your garden. Stick to native plants and reduce the light pollution in your yard to attract fireflies. Keep your lawn damp or provide a water basin to ensure the fireflies stay hydrated.

Related Guides:

• Six Ways To Stop Pill Bugs From Eating Your Plants
• Best Plants To Keep Bugs Away