Fireflies Expected Soon in Kalamazoo Neighborhoods

When can you expect that dazzling backyard light show?

It's been a cool and wet start to the season here in West Michigan. I can't be the only one wondering if recent weather conditions could affect the appearance of fireflies this summer, can I?

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It was a wet and stormy start to spring and while we only just entered meteorological summer-- the period from June 1 to August 31 used by meteorologists and climatologists to track summer weather trends-- it's cold here in West Michigan!

I keep seeing amateur meteorologists and weather enthusiasts on social media saying things like "Get used to seeing more smoke from Canadian wildfires" and "The seasons are shifting. Summer is starting later and later each year" but can that really be true?

If that's the case, then will we start seeing fireflies later each year too?

According to contributors to the Farmers Almanac the answer is: Yes. The trusted periodical which forecasts weather and agricultural conditions writes,

larvae live underground during winter, mature during spring, and then emerge in early summer anywhere from the third week in May to the third week in June. What dates you’ll begin to see fireflies in your back yard is somewhat of a mystery, and changes from year to year. But scientists do know that air temperature and rainfall have something to do with it.

According to the publication unlike we humans, fireflies actually prefer muggy weather. Naturally, in the years where warm weather has arrived early fireflies emerge sooner. Adds the Farmers Almanac,

Wet springs also lead to earlier firefly flash displays—likely because firefly larvae feed on snails, slugs, and pill bugs which are brought out by rains. The damper the soil, the more plentiful these creepy-crawlers will be, and the more food young fireflies will have to carry them into adulthood. And it’s the adult fireflies that flicker

Have you seen the glow of fireflies in your backyard yet?