When Are Fireflies Most Common In West Michigan?

I was just relaxing on my porch the other night and noticed the night sky lighting up not only from the moon but from the masses of fireflies.

According to firefly.org most fireflies appear in May, June or July depending on the climate. Luckily for us in West Michigan they start to appear in June and usually last until about the end of August. They love our warm and fairly wet weather.

Here's an interesting fact about fireflies and their mating habits. Studies show that female fireflies use the flash patterns emitted by males to choose their mates. The higher the flash rate and intensity given off by the male, the more attractive it will be to a female.

Finally, the coolest thing I learned in my research about fireflies is that firefly lights are the most efficient lights in the world! 100% of the energy is emitted as light. Because it produces no heat, scientists refer to firefly lights as “cold lights.” And we all thought LED lights were the most efficient. lol

So enjoy the natural "night lights" as long as we have them this summer.

Back in 2014 CBS Sunday Morning visited a location thought to have the best firefly show in the country, in the Great Smokey Mountains.