How to Attract More Fireflies to Your Yard—and the Many Reasons You'd Want To

fireflies in a field at night — Photo:
Massimo Gugliucciello / Getty Images

Fireflies offer many benefits for our yards and gardens. Not only are they beautiful and act as nature's own light show, but they can also help keep pests, like slugs and snails, at bay. Providing a habitat that supports fireflies can play a valuable role in your yard's overall health. Ahead, we spoke with experts to find out how to attract fireflies to your yard. Read on for their tips and all the reasons why fireflies make for friendly additions to the home garden.

David M. Burrows, founder and managing director of Arkearth, a non-profit focused on saving pollinators
Rebecca Benison, organic gardening expert and author

Why You Should Attract Fireflies

Many people love fireflies for their beauty, but that's not all they have to offer.

Fireflies Eat Garden Pests

"Firefly larvae eat slugs and snails, which are common garden pests," says Rebecca Benison, an organic gardener and author. "So, having a yard that supports fireflies can protect vegetable gardens from slugs."

What's Good for Fireflies Is Good for the Environment

Creating a habitat that supports fireflies is also good for the environment. "Keeping leaf litter on the property, which fireflies need to survive winter, provides natural mulch for garden beds,” says Benison. Decomposing leaf litter adds nutrients to the soil, keeps the ground moist and therefore stops erosion, and serves as a habitat for other insects.

Fireflies Are Pollinators

In their adult stage, fireflies become pollinators. "They visit flowering plants for nectar and pollen," says David M. Burrows, the founder and managing director of Arkearth, a nonprofit with a mission to save pollinators.

They Provide a Sense of Wonder

And, of course, fireflies add beauty to your home. "They are nature’s fireworks," says Benison. "Sitting outside, or even just looking out the window to see the flickering glow of fireflies around the yard is such a magical sight."

How to Attract Fireflies

There are quite a few ways you can welcome fireflies into your yard—follow our experts' suggestions and you'll have a yard full of glowing lights in no time.

Are There Fireflies in the West? If you live in the western part of the United States, you may wonder why you don't see the tell-tale illumination of fireflies twinkling in your yard. As it turns out, the species that flash to attract females generally only live east of Kansas. Western states do have fireflies and they provide the same benefits, but their glow is faint and only occurs while they are on the ground.

Provide Tall Grass

Fireflies don’t like overly manicured lawns because, during the day, adult fireflies hide in tall grass and shrubs to rest. Leaving some space unmown, or even planting tall grasses as part of your landscaping, will make your yard more attractive to fireflies, says Benison. "A short lawn won’t hurt fireflies, but it won’t bring them into your yard either," she says.

Spare the Leaves

a pile of dry leaf litter on the ground. — feri ferdinan / Getty Images

Leaf litter is home to many insects that lay their eggs or house their larvae. The same is true of fireflies. "Fireflies need leaf litter to get through the winter since that's where you’ll find their larvae," says Benison. This means that performing fall yard cleanup, like bagging up leaves, is among the biggest threats to fireflies. "An added benefit is that leaves act as a natural mulch and also provide habitat for some overwintering butterflies." If you don’t like the look of leaves all over your yard, choose at least one designated spot for leaf litter for your fireflies.

Don’t use a leaf blower to move leaves, no matter what setting you use. "When you blow away leaves with heavy equipment like that, you’re killing everything that survives in that material over winter," says Benison. "That includes fireflies, butterflies, moths, and more."

Avoid Creating High-Traffic Areas

You don’t want the yard full of foot traffic of all kinds. "High-traffic areas can include where people walk, kids play, and pets run," says Burrows. "Too much of those activities will limit the natural growth of plants and grasses that attract fireflies."

Don’t Use Insecticides

This is the best way to support fireflies. "Even organic sprays that say they’re targeting mosquitoes will just end up killing whatever insects are in the area, including fireflies," says Benison. If it kills one insect, it kills them all. Instead, choose bug-repelling plants to naturally ward off mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests.

Prioritize Native Plants

close up of a butterfly on a coneflower — Victoria Ross / Getty Images

As they are native insects, fireflies have evolved to prefer native plants. This vegetation provides the insects with food and shelter. Native plants can also attract butterflies to your yard and make up a beautiful pollinator garden. "Choosing native plants benefits all the wildlife in your community, including fireflies," says Benison.

Keep It Dark

This can be challenging, especially if you’re in a city. But the fewer light sources, the better for fireflies, as they use their light shows to attract mates. If the insects compete with other lights, it will be hard for them to see each other, making it difficult for them to breed. Reduce the light pollution in your yard by using dimmers, motion sensors, timers, and shaded fixtures that minimize glare.

Add a Water Source

All wildlife, including fireflies, need water to survive. Adding even just a small water source can help bring fireflies to your yard. "These can be anything from a small plastic in-ground pond to a solar-powered birdbath," says Burrows.

Bring In Shade

If at all possible, introduce shady spots in your yard or garden—fireflies are happy in the shade. "This will also be where their larvae can find snails and slugs as a food source," says Burrows.

Don’t Catch the Fireflies!

Firefly in Glow — Ali Majdfar / Getty Images

This last one can be difficult to follow, especially if holding a firefly in your hand has been a summer pastime since childhood. "Resist the urge to catch fireflies in a jar," says Benison. Catching fireflies even to release them can distract them from their attempts at finding a mate. Given the short amount of time most adult fireflies have to live, they have little time to waste.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Sources

Martha Stewart is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy.

"Why Don't We See Fireflies in the Western U.S.?" Smithsonian, Anna Diamond