[Altavia]

Firefly nights at Blue Spring State Park start March 16, 2024, likely to continue for 2 – 3 weeks.

Fireflies in Florida: How to see ''spectacular lightshow"

[bowlingal]

no fireflies here, but if you wait another month you will see lovebugs. They get on everything and can destroy the finish on your car. Make sure you wash your car when you see them on it. They are mostly attracted to light colors. NOT a pleasant experience. They come 2x a year.....May and September

[pattihopeBB]

We have seen 1-2 from our lanai in Newell the past few weeks. Our lanai backs up to a preserve so there are acres of woods.

We lived in Bonnybrook for 8 years and never saw one. This was a pleasant surprise.

But not the thousands we saw in Michigan as children.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Hmm interesting, thinking we have not seen any since living here

I used to see a lot of them seasonally when I lived in rural Pennsylvania, but I’ve never seen one here. I’ve also never seen a mosquito around my house, thankfully. However, there are 56 species of fireflies native to Florida. A couple nights ago I sat on the veranda of Evans Prairie Country Club, which overlooks a beautiful swamp. As it got dark, more and more mosquitoes came out, as the golf course there, I hear, is not sprayed for them. I didn’t see any fireflies, but that might be a good place to find some.

[Aulicino]

Originally Posted by Sparksfurn

Is there any place or season to see fireflies in the villages? We are new to The Villages, we’re Northerners?
Thanks.

Been in Florida 37 years, never saw a firefly.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Sparksfurn

Is there any place or season to see fireflies in the villages? We are new to The Villages, we’re Northerners?
Thanks.

They're here, just not in TV. We've farm-sat several times for a farmer and his wife out beyond Lake Weir and have seen them there. Not many: I remember them in the spring in Northern Minnesota when the low spots in the fields were spectacular with them.

[Dantes]

Yes lighting bugs are here they start in March and April
Near woods and ponds. You may need to take a ride outside the bubble because of the constant construction and spraying

[glsatterlee]

Yes, there are fireflies down here, but they are not in swarms of small bugs, like back north. I’ve only seen a couple, at most at one time, and they are somewhat larger bug than back north. Two or three times larger.

We also live off from a wetlands preserve.

[Retiredsteve]

Originally Posted by Sparksfurn

Is there any place or season to see fireflies in the villages? We are new to The Villages, we’re Northerners?
Thanks.

Firefly's fluorescence is very dependent on ambient light. The more light the less the light up. We were up in Tenn at a State Park and there were tons. You get into more lit up cities and you see less. We light our castles like beacons on hills then wonder why we don't see the stars or lightning bugs.

[maistocars]

Originally Posted by Kelevision

And wooded areas. I bet you could see them on some of the walking trails south of 44 near the woods too.

Yes, absolutely! In the wooded areas south of 44 -Chitty Chatty, Bradford, Homestead Rec Center.

[LeRoySmith]

the lightening bugs flash in unison in the smoky mt park, its quite a sight

[frayedends]

I've seen them in my backyard in Lake Denham on the preserve.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Rwatson1

The reason there are no fireflies is because of all the pesticides being applied on a daily basis. Every one has the yard sprayed every time they see any kind of bug. The pesticides kill all. This is Florida, we have bugs.

We need pesticides that know the good bugs from the bad ones.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

We have glow-worms in the UK, but hardly see any now, compared to when we were kids.
Same with butterflies. We had whole meadows of butterflies, but nothing like the numbers now.

We have made our garden planting as butterfly and bee friendly as possible, and summer to fall many can be seen all around us, we love it, but it is a drop in the ocean compared to what needs doing to reverse the population downward trend.

Our bee decline is becoming a major disaster in the offing, loss of habitat, invasive species, over use of pesticides and disease is playing havoc on bee and hover species population.
It is a very serious problem when a main germination force is in decline.
Lip service and promises are expressed by successive governments, but the usual attitude of "it's not a problem until it's a disaster" prevails.

Too much pesticide. pollution, and population.

[AMB444]

Originally Posted by Rwatson1

The reason there are no fireflies is because of all the pesticides being applied on a daily basis. Every one has the yard sprayed every time they see any kind of bug. The pesticides kill all. This is Florida, we have bugs.

They are not that common up in the midwest anymore due to pesticides on yards and crops. Sad.