Every summer, fireflies light up our backyards. However, there are fewer and fewer of them each year. Why? One surprising reason is raking fall leaves.
Fireflies spend most of their lives as larvae living on or under the ground. These larvae hide and hunt in leaf litter, the layer of fallen leaves and natural debris on the ground. They stay there all fall and winter, feeding on tiny snails and worms until they emerge as adults in summer.
When people rake or blow away all their leaves, they remove the baby fireflies’ shelter and food source. Without those protective leaves, the larvae can dry out, freeze, or be eaten by predators.
You can protect fireflies this fall by making small changes in your yard, like leaving some leaves in garden beds or around trees as natural mulch. If you have to rake your leaves, try to avoid leaf blowers, which destroy habitat much more than a manual rake.
By leaving the leaves, you’re giving fireflies a safe habitat and helping ensure that fireflies will light up your yard next summer!
