Get Caught Up in the Magic of Fireflies

I’m not going to lie to you and say I like bugs. Yes, I love being outside. I love the sounds of nature. I don’t hate bugs in general, but I don’t welcome them into my home either. Except for fireflies. Fireflies can stop by anytime. They are just magical!

“Outside sounds”

That’s my family, friends, and neighbors after some time camping and hanging out near the river. The fireflies were everywhere and we were awed to almost silence as we sat and watched. Eric Day, an entomologist at Virginia Tech agrees that these little bugs are magical, which says a lot coming from someone who studies bugs for a living.

“Fireflies are a memory thing. It’s like, you see fireflies, you remember seeing them as a kid. And kind of have the memory of what you were doing at that time, too,” says Day. “It’s a good chance to turn off your phone, turn off your TV, sit outside in the yard and watch fireflies.”

Now seems to be the height of fireflies up in Highland, a little later than down in the valley where it’s warmer. They prefer old hayfields and grassy fields near rivers, away from light.

There are some indications that housing and commercial developments and roads may be cutting into their habitat. But Day says in rural areas across Virginia, like Highland, lighting bug populations appear to be going strong.

Where Day lives in Craig County, he’s counted four different types of fireflies on a single night, all blinking in the same hayfield.

“You can look at/watch different flash patterns. That’s the way they talk.”

So turn off the TV, put your cell phones down, and head outside for a bit tonight. Don’t miss this magic!

Our thanks to Virginia Public Radio for their help with reporting on this story.