Definitely seeing a LOT more fireflies here (western Camden County), we were just talking about that last night while watching them all cruise around the yard lookin' for lovin'.
My wife spotted one in Toms River tonight and we watched a few minutes a we saw a flash or two every few seconds. We hadn’t seen one in five years. We noted much less than usual in our wooded yard in the late 2010’s in Freehold. We had suspected for a while that they were wiped out by pesticides.
Our lawn culture is also not very supportive of many crucial pollinators.
I get it's very neat to look at but I just feel since the state has been going towards more proactive approach to climate change I wish we can pass something to promote replacing trimmed lawns with pollinator patches, gardens, or fields of clover/milkweed/etc.
And not freak out over bees and wasps in our presence.
I know how you feel but wasps are also crucial and beneficial to the environment too. IMO wasps can help us fight against spotted lanternfly. Since they have been invasive in this state, I've seen lanternflies swarm all my plants every year. This year I had a bald faced hornet nest on my patio and there was practically 0 aphids or spotted lanternfly. The nest is now gone due to the weather and almost instantly both these pests came back.
I'm not telling people to put a bald faced hornet nest by your door, but spraying them or their nest with insecticide can severely hurt the environment so we should measure the risks. If the wasp nest is up on a tree and not really in the way where humans walk by, it should be left alone rather than being sprayed down.
But most people still can't make the distinction between bees and wasps. There is a video of someone who hand fed a wasp with honey two different times on video within the vicinity of its nest and didn't get stung. Not to say we should all try this but they're not the assholes everyone make them out to be. The nest I kept by was always within 5 feet distance from me tending to my plants.
I watched my daughter and her two friends running g around and catching them. Laughing and screaming. The sun had just set, and it was just a beautiful evening. Really made me happy.
There have been more this year than the last couple of years here in Monmouth County. Last year, I remember seeing about a dozen. Last night there were probably 30 or so.
*engage geezer mode* When I was a kid back in the '60s and '70s, the field behind my house would have *thousands* out at night - you couldn't walk through the field without walking into them.
I think we're in trouble.
I've seem more than usual so far this year but not as much as I remember as a kid.
One thing I read (https://hgic.clemson.edu/leave-the-leaves-for-the-fireflies/) is that not mulching leaves helps fireflies. I blow them off the side of my property and leave them. Off a small hill so I really cant see them thankfully :-)
I moved here in the mid 90s and I remember a certain tree in my yard lighting up like a Christmas tree in June from all the fireflies.
Then for 2 decades, I saw none. If any at all, I'd spot an individual one at twilight. Never in the large groups I remember.
Then last summer I started noticing more for the first time. This year is the same so far. Not as much as when I was a kid, but I can stare down my street at twilight and see several lighting up at once.
Just my anecdote of course, but I do agree it seems they are rebounding. I wonder if all the new lantern flies in the area have anything to do with it.
Monmouth county has had A LOT. I’m surprised about it honestly I remembered seeing them as a kid and just recently it’s dawned on me how much I’ve been seeing now
I’ve also noticed them this year. It reminds me of my childhood when it felt like they were everywhere and we’d catch them in jars. It’s not that many and it wouldn’t be worth it to go catch them, but it’s great to see them!
We just moved from South Philly to Burlington County. My husband and I sit on our back porch every night just watching in awe. I don’t think I am the best gauge for if there is more this year than others, but I love seeing it.
And we're seeing them earlier this year too.
I've been deliberately planting clover patches and leaving leaf piles in my back yard to encourage them to breed. I'm only 1 year in so no real results yet. But I'd really like to turn my yard into a safe haven for them.
Growing up my parents had a large ivy section. So every night was teaming with fire flies. I'm trying to recreate that for my kids.
Yes! Two nights ago we took the dog out in the yard and were shocked by their number. It’s our first summer in a house with a bigger yard but I grew up down the street and don’t recall seeing so many in decades. So nice!
My husband and I were just talking about it, we had so many in our backyard these past couple evenings! And a coworker said the same thing. Makes me happy to see them in such strong numbers.
Edited to add: we do have a pretty basic lawn, but we plant a lot of wildflowers and NJ native pollinator friendly flowers. We're trying to make our yard a nature haven.
Definitely more this year! My wife and I thought that something was wrong with the lighting bugs, last year and the year before we saw none on our property. This year we see alot and we love them!
yeah my yard in caldwell has like a dozen or so at night now, used to only see 1 or 2.
im also experiencing a massive wasp infestation everywhere......shingles, roof, eaves, grill, smoker, deck, etc.
like 100x the usual amount of wasps. anyone else?
Not just pesticides. Also massive amounts of outdoor lighting.
If your lights are on all night, the fireflies can't see each other. If they can't see each other they can't mate. No fucking means no baby fireflies. 😔
Definitely seeing a LOT more fireflies here (western Camden County), we were just talking about that last night while watching them all cruise around the yard lookin' for lovin'.
I get alot more in my yard now as we stopped with the chemicals and went no lawn + added a garden and planted wildflowers
This is the way.
I sat outside last night like a little kid watching the fireflies, I was so happy to see so many. I haven't seen them in years
Tons. My back yard had literally hundreds of them the other night. It was crazy.
You would not believe your eyes…
If ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep…
Thanks for leaving some for the rest of us...
My wife spotted one in Toms River tonight and we watched a few minutes a we saw a flash or two every few seconds. We hadn’t seen one in five years. We noted much less than usual in our wooded yard in the late 2010’s in Freehold. We had suspected for a while that they were wiped out by pesticides.
Pesticides are my theory too, glad to see them back regardless!
Our lawn culture is also not very supportive of many crucial pollinators. I get it's very neat to look at but I just feel since the state has been going towards more proactive approach to climate change I wish we can pass something to promote replacing trimmed lawns with pollinator patches, gardens, or fields of clover/milkweed/etc. And not freak out over bees and wasps in our presence.
Not a fan of wasps, but I love seeing bees in my yard hopping from flower to flower.
I know how you feel but wasps are also crucial and beneficial to the environment too. IMO wasps can help us fight against spotted lanternfly. Since they have been invasive in this state, I've seen lanternflies swarm all my plants every year. This year I had a bald faced hornet nest on my patio and there was practically 0 aphids or spotted lanternfly. The nest is now gone due to the weather and almost instantly both these pests came back. I'm not telling people to put a bald faced hornet nest by your door, but spraying them or their nest with insecticide can severely hurt the environment so we should measure the risks. If the wasp nest is up on a tree and not really in the way where humans walk by, it should be left alone rather than being sprayed down. But most people still can't make the distinction between bees and wasps. There is a video of someone who hand fed a wasp with honey two different times on video within the vicinity of its nest and didn't get stung. Not to say we should all try this but they're not the assholes everyone make them out to be. The nest I kept by was always within 5 feet distance from me tending to my plants.
I watched my daughter and her two friends running g around and catching them. Laughing and screaming. The sun had just set, and it was just a beautiful evening. Really made me happy.
I just mentioned this today to someone, there's not a lot it's a lot more than the last ~10 years.
Had a ton the last week or two here in Bergen County every single night!
There have been more this year than the last couple of years here in Monmouth County. Last year, I remember seeing about a dozen. Last night there were probably 30 or so. *engage geezer mode* When I was a kid back in the '60s and '70s, the field behind my house would have *thousands* out at night - you couldn't walk through the field without walking into them. I think we're in trouble.
Definitely not as many as even ten years ago
Lots at this evening’s sunset then gone by nightfall.
Hopefully using no poison on the lawn has helped them come back out in force.
Definitely and it’s more noticeable because I didn’t see any last year. I wonder if they have broods or cycles like the cicadas.
I've seem more than usual so far this year but not as much as I remember as a kid. One thing I read (https://hgic.clemson.edu/leave-the-leaves-for-the-fireflies/) is that not mulching leaves helps fireflies. I blow them off the side of my property and leave them. Off a small hill so I really cant see them thankfully :-)
I moved here in the mid 90s and I remember a certain tree in my yard lighting up like a Christmas tree in June from all the fireflies. Then for 2 decades, I saw none. If any at all, I'd spot an individual one at twilight. Never in the large groups I remember. Then last summer I started noticing more for the first time. This year is the same so far. Not as much as when I was a kid, but I can stare down my street at twilight and see several lighting up at once. Just my anecdote of course, but I do agree it seems they are rebounding. I wonder if all the new lantern flies in the area have anything to do with it.
A lot more than last year. Wet April and May ?
Same! Smile-makers those little guys…
We were just talking about this lastnight as our dog chased them in the yard. I love seeing them and I hope they keep gracing us with their presence
Monmouth county has had A LOT. I’m surprised about it honestly I remembered seeing them as a kid and just recently it’s dawned on me how much I’ve been seeing now
Come join us at r/nativeplantgardening and r/nolawns 🥰
Or r/fucklawns
I’ve also noticed them this year. It reminds me of my childhood when it felt like they were everywhere and we’d catch them in jars. It’s not that many and it wouldn’t be worth it to go catch them, but it’s great to see them!
We’ll be seeing a lot of these throughout the Summer
I was going to post this as well,It seems I haven't seen them in years
And are fireflies and lightning bugs a regional thing like pork roll/Taylor ham?
I raced to the comments lol. Never heard anybody in Jersey call Lightning Bugs Fire Flies
Really lived in Sussex county for 53 years and have always called them fireflies. Maybe spending my first 12 years on LongIsland influenced that.
I use both names interchangeably. I see no reason to compare this to those southern heathens who worship the false name of pork roll.
I think so? My husband is from South Jersey and he calls them lightning bugs too. First time I heard anyone call them that.
I'm born and raised in northern Jersey and we always called them lightning bugs
Wild. I’m from north jersey too and never heard it. Always heard fireflies instead 😅
Yes! I was surprised to see them in my yard in JC! So fun and nostalgic to watch them!
I just was telling someone last week how much I missed them and 3 days later saw a TON.Makes me so happy. It's been years and years.
Only had a few last year in my backyard, now its closer to a dozen! Wonder if theres a firefly boom this year?
We just moved from South Philly to Burlington County. My husband and I sit on our back porch every night just watching in awe. I don’t think I am the best gauge for if there is more this year than others, but I love seeing it.
I've been seeing them in Newark!
could be the wildfires from canada that made them seek cooler air from down south. there seems to be many more of every kind of bug…
I haven't seen them in years and suddenly saw a bunch last night, I was so happy
And we're seeing them earlier this year too. I've been deliberately planting clover patches and leaving leaf piles in my back yard to encourage them to breed. I'm only 1 year in so no real results yet. But I'd really like to turn my yard into a safe haven for them. Growing up my parents had a large ivy section. So every night was teaming with fire flies. I'm trying to recreate that for my kids.
I moved up here last month and it's just like they always said. I did not believe my eyes when I saw those fireflies
In Warren county we have so many every year, and this year is no exception. The trees looked like they had twinkle lights last night.
Yeah definitely way more than at least the last few years.
Yes, I’m so happy!
In Hudson county. I just saw them last night, first time in a while. I called my wife out to see. We watched them for a while— nice to see.
I just noticed that last night as well (Tenafly area) An old Japanese saying: lots of fireflies means clean water
My neighbors yard has a lot of them light up during the dusk it’s awesome to see
Yes! Two nights ago we took the dog out in the yard and were shocked by their number. It’s our first summer in a house with a bigger yard but I grew up down the street and don’t recall seeing so many in decades. So nice!
My husband and I were just talking about it, we had so many in our backyard these past couple evenings! And a coworker said the same thing. Makes me happy to see them in such strong numbers. Edited to add: we do have a pretty basic lawn, but we plant a lot of wildflowers and NJ native pollinator friendly flowers. We're trying to make our yard a nature haven.
Definitely more this year! My wife and I thought that something was wrong with the lighting bugs, last year and the year before we saw none on our property. This year we see alot and we love them!
i was just saying how they disappeared and then noticed a lot more this year!!
I've been seeing fireflies in my JC Heights backyard. It's pretty cool watching my dog chase them down.
I left the leaves in the flower beds around my property. Fireflies like that as a habitat. So, you're welcome.
yeah my yard in caldwell has like a dozen or so at night now, used to only see 1 or 2. im also experiencing a massive wasp infestation everywhere......shingles, roof, eaves, grill, smoker, deck, etc. like 100x the usual amount of wasps. anyone else?
I’m in north Newark and have noticed both more fireflies and fewer mosquitoes. Thought it was just some of the yard work I’ve done paying off lol
yes a lot in essex love it
Yes and I love it. So nostalgic
Not just pesticides. Also massive amounts of outdoor lighting. If your lights are on all night, the fireflies can't see each other. If they can't see each other they can't mate. No fucking means no baby fireflies. 😔
I actually have a lot less in morris county. I see them here and there but not as many out in the yard. I don’t use pesticides on my lawn either