Name: Fireflies are vanishing: Where, how to see some for summer
Uploaded: 2025-11-19T21:15:49.169Z
Duration: 32 s
Description: Adult fireflies only light up the sky for two weeks before their life cycle comes to an end. Spring and summer are prime times for lightning bugs, but it’s getting harder to see them and more than a dozen species in the U.S. face extinction.

Adult fireflies only light up the sky for two weeks before their life cycle comes to an end. Spring and summer are prime times for lightning bugs, but it’s getting harder to see them and more than a dozen species in the U.S. face extinction.

Texas

Firefly populations are declining as a result of light pollution, habitat loss from drought, severe storms, and rising sea levels. Despite these challenges, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee continues to attract large numbers of fireflies, prompting the park to hold a free lottery for the best viewing spots.

Individuals interested in attracting fireflies to their own backyards are advised to avoid pesticides, plant native species, allow grass to grow taller, and reduce outdoor lighting. These measures can help create a more suitable environment for fireflies during the summer months.

Fireflies are vanishing: Where, how to see some for summer

Do fireflies feel like nostalgia from your childhood? While their numbers are dwindling because of light pollution and habitat loss from extended drought, more severe storms, and rising sea levels, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee gets so many fireflies, they hold a free lottery for the best viewing spots. Here's how to lure some lightning bugs to your own backyard. Avoid pesticides, add native plants, let your grass grow taller, and turn off your lights.

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