Seeing fewer lightning bugs in the Carolinas? You’re not alone

Whether you call them lightning bugs or fireflies, no one can deny the excitement when you spot one.

Charlotte is a melting pot, so it’s no surprise there are arguments here: lightning bugs or fireflies? What do you call them?

But whatever you call them, their glow is a welcome sight during the summer months, and can feel like childhood all over again.

Lightning bugs thrive in the Carolinas and the rest of the Southeast because they like warm and humid climates with plenty of water sources.

However, when we see them light up, they’re actually at the end of their life cycle.

Corey Davis, the assistant state climatologist for North Carolina, said this is the time they’re trying to find a mate, so the flashes of light are like their mating dance.

Lightning bugs take a cue from soil temperatures, which is why they typically emerge across the Carolinas in early June. It’s a bit earlier further south and a bit later further north.

Davis also said lightning bugs only live above the ground for about 3 to 4 weeks, so the best time to see them is now, especially since the species isn’t thriving like it used to.

“These are species that are using their light to try to attract mates, so bright city lights make it a little bit tougher for them to get the message between each other,” he said.

If you don’t notice their light shows as much as when you were a kid, you aren’t alone!

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, light pollution has interfered with their mating abilities, and habitat loss has reduced the food and space available to them. Both have lowered population growth.

Pesticide exposure can also disrupt their metabolism and development. Climate change also adds stress through drought impacts and sea-level rise.

Scientists are working on more research to help populations from dwindling, but there are 3 main things you can do to try to increase the number of lightning bugs in your backyard: