Summer has finally arrived and since it’s one of the most laid back times of the year, we thought it’d be fun to do a series of posts with some ideas to make it more special than it already is.
Even as homeschoolers, summer is typically a time to slow down, take a break, and spend some extra time exploring and doing activities we don’t get to enjoy during our three other favorite seasons.
Enter fireflies, one of the hallmarks of summer. There are over 170 species of these blinking bugs in the US and about 2000 species in the world. There’s something so magical about watching them light up. Childhood memories of running through the grass and chasing them through the warm dusk air, are priceless.
Here’s a fun fact you may not know about these magical beetles; males are the ones flying around. Female fireflies sit in the grass trying to get their attention – and when she sees one she likes, she flashes her light at him. The male then flashes her in return and they continue flashing each other with a specific flash pattern, thus finding their mate.
Fireflies also have the most efficient lights in the world. Their bellies light up using a chemically produced “cold light” with no infrared frequencies. Using their bioluminescence, the light is most commonly seen as yellow but also shows up in hues of red/orange or green. It’s not only the adults you see creating magic though, the eggs and larvae in some species also glow.
If you want to attract fireflies, there are some things you can do to help increase the population. With any insect, one of the main things you can do to keep them around is eliminating the use of pesticides. Not only is it bad for the environment and your kids, they harm all sorts of creatures. Two more things you can do is shut your lights off and let your grass grow – or at least a section of it.
Fireflies hang out in tall grass during the day and also love wet or wooded areas to lay their larvae in. So plant some trees or build a pond too. Light pollution not only messes up their mating rituals, they are more sensitive to artificial light than any other insect group… these beautiful bugs are actually facing extinction due to loss of habitat, pesticide use, and artificial light.
Celebrate summer with some of these fun firefly activities:
• If your family wants to take on the project of making your backyard into a firefly paradise, you can certify your space through the National Wildlife Federation.
• Spend some time learning about common firefly flash patterns. Look them up here. Then have some fun imitating them. Grab your siblings or friends and head outside with some flashlights. Create your own flash patterns and see if your friends can respond back using the same patterns.
• Catch some fireflies! Grab a jar and see if you can catch some just as dusk begins. Spend a few minutes getting a good look and then release them.
• Use one of our free printables. Check out our math one and track the fireflies you see or create an original written piece about fire flies with our fun writing prompts.
Have fun enjoying the magic of fireflies and learning about our favorite summer beetle.
– Amber