As firefly sightings decline, here’s how to create a certified habitat

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Research suggests firefly populations are declining in Ohio and globally, prompting a state park naturalist to create a certified firefly habitat and teach residents how to do the same. 

Erin Shaw, a naturalist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said she has always been enchanted by fireflies. But in recent years, she said she has been seeing them less frequently – and she’s not alone. Anecdotal reports from around the world suggest firefly populations are declining, although comprehensive studies are scarce, according to Firefly Atlas, a North American conservation project.

“This past year has been pretty good for them as far as the weather and the moisture levels,” Shaw said. “So a lot of people have noticed them this past year, but overall, they are declining.”

The dwindling sightings inspired Shaw to obtain a firefly habitat certification for Caesar Creek State Park in southwestern Ohio through the global nonprofit Firefly Conservation and Research.

In order to get the certification, the organization requires individuals to maintain an ideal environment for fireflies, which it describes as a place that provides undisturbed cover for adults and larvae, encourages plant diversity, reduces artificial light and limits pesticide use.

While Shaw initially created a firefly habitat in the form of a small garden near the Nature Center, she said she realized a majority of the park serves as a sanctuary for the insects, as more than 70% of it complies with the nonprofit’s guidelines. 

The self-guided certification program, priced at $45, includes a downloadable guide with a checklist to turn an area into a firefly-friendly environment and a “certified firefly habitat” sign, which the nonprofit believes helps raise awareness about declining firefly populations. 

“I think a lot of parks could do this, you could get it for your backyard, you could get it for your church or your school or your business,” Shaw said. “It’s applicable to many different places.”

Anyone can create a certified firefly habitat by completing the program. Shaw said moist areas, such as those near creeks, ponds and other wetlands, would be ideal spots to create firefly habitats. She also noted lightning bugs enjoy trees, tall grass, rotten logs and leaf litter. 

“It’s finding places where they should be and then just helping to protect that area for [the] future,” she said. 

Fireflies face a variety of threats, including light pollution, defined as the brightening of the night sky by street lights and other artificial sources. Such lights can disrupt courtship among fireflies, which rely on their lanterns to find mates. 

Habitat loss due to urban development and pesticide use is also impacting firefly populations. To help, Shaw said residents can turn off their porch lights before dusk throughout the summer, when fireflies are most active, and avoid using pesticides. 

“Instead of spraying pesticide on our gardens, we could simply make a firefly habitat and invite the larvae to have a safe place to stay and then they will help take care of our pesky bugs,” Shaw said. 

As larvae, fireflies benefit the environment by controlling populations of invertebrates such as slugs and snails, which can damage and kill plants if left unchecked by natural predators. As adults, they feed on pollen and nectar, benefiting a variety of flowering plants. 

Fireflies are members of the beetle family, with scientists estimating there are about 2,000 firefly species worldwide, including nearly 200 in North America.