Where Have All The Fireflies Gone?

Chickie · 09-02-2010, 07:06 PM

I haven’t seen a firefly in years and wonder if they have disappeared from the Lakes Region. I remember as a youngster seeing them in fields and along the edges of our lawn as soon as darkness came. We chased down a few as kids and were always fascinated by those twinkling lights. Perhaps they still exist in rural areas around the lake? Has anyone seen one of late?

In contrast, dragonflies seem to be in abundance this summer. I don’t recall ever seeing so many – perhaps the warm, dry weather has something to do with it. Last night I saw at least thirty or more darting back and forth over my lawn apparently in search of food. As they are known to have a fondness for mosquitoes and other small, pesky insects, I welcome them with open arms and invite them to help themselves. They remind me of little helicopters and I marvel at how they are able to maneuver about. Even though they fly willy-nilly at top speeds, they never seem to collide. Guess they have their own built-in navigation systems. It is incredible that without GPS, buoys or beacons they never crash into each other. How do they do that?

09-02-2010, 07:06 PM	#1
Chickie Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 367 Thanks: 0 Thanked 67 Times in 38 Posts	Where Have All The Fireflies Gone? I haven’t seen a firefly in years and wonder if they have disappeared from the Lakes Region. I remember as a youngster seeing them in fields and along the edges of our lawn as soon as darkness came. We chased down a few as kids and were always fascinated by those twinkling lights. Perhaps they still exist in rural areas around the lake? Has anyone seen one of late? In contrast, dragonflies seem to be in abundance this summer. I don’t recall ever seeing so many – perhaps the warm, dry weather has something to do with it. Last night I saw at least thirty or more darting back and forth over my lawn apparently in search of food. As they are known to have a fondness for mosquitoes and other small, pesky insects, I welcome them with open arms and invite them to help themselves. They remind me of little helicopters and I marvel at how they are able to maneuver about. Even though they fly willy-nilly at top speeds, they never seem to collide. Guess they have their own built-in navigation systems. It is incredible that without GPS, buoys or beacons they never crash into each other. How do they do that?