When you go hiking or camping at night, you can see many creatures who only come out in the dark. You can find and observe fireflies glowing at night.
Let’s Get Started
Here are four ways to have fun with fireflies on a warm summer night!
Amazing!
Amazing!
Watch the Light Show.
Look for males flashing as they fly and females twinkling in one place. See if you can figure out their flash patterns. Are they all one species or several different ones?
Wonderful!
Wonderful!
Talk Back.
Using a small flashlight, try imitating the patterns you see. If you flash the male’s pattern, a female may flash back. Try the female’s response; you may lure a male right to your fingertips!
Fantastic!
Fantastic!
Catch and Release.
For a close-up look, catch a few fireflies in a jar. Check them out and then let them go, of course.
Fantastic!
Fantastic!
Be Firefly-Friendly.
Make your neighborhood a good habitat for fireflies. Turn off bright outdoor lights, which “drown out” fireflies’ messages. Avoid lawn chemicals. Plant trees, shrubs, and grasses to provide places for the beetles to rest and hide.
Document Your Discoveries
- Draw or describe your firefly adventure in your Nature Notebook.
- Catch a firefly. Then set it free.
Bonus: Show us your best firefly drawings and photos on social media by using the hashtag #GreenHour.
Join this year’s Great American Campout—right in your yard or another nearby place!
