COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Research suggests firefly populations are declining, prompting calls to create firefly habitats.

As an Ohio Department of Natural Resources naturalist, Erin Shaw has always been captivated by fireflies. However, recently, her encounters with these glowing insects have diminished—and she’s not the only one noticing this change. Reports from around the globe indicate a decline in firefly numbers, though in-depth research remains limited, as noted by Firefly Atlas, a conservation initiative in North America.

“This past year proved favorable for fireflies due to weather and moisture conditions,” Shaw reported to Nexstar’s WCMH. “While many people observed more of them this year, the overall trend is a decline.”

This reduction in firefly appearances motivated Shaw to secure a firefly habitat certification for Caesar Creek State Park, located in southwestern Ohio, through the global nonprofit Firefly Conservation and Research.

The certification process requires individuals to create an ideal habitat for fireflies, which includes maintaining undisturbed cover for both adults and larvae, promoting plant diversity, minimizing artificial light, and reducing pesticide use.

Initially establishing a firefly habitat via a modest garden adjacent to the Nature Center, Shaw soon recognized that the majority of the park actually serves as a haven for fireflies, with over 70% of the area aligning with the nonprofit’s criteria.

For $45, the self-guided certification program offers a downloadable guide with steps to create a firefly-friendly setting, and includes a “certified firefly habitat” sign, intended to boost awareness of the declining firefly populations. 

“I think a lot of parks could do this, you could get it for your backyard, you could get it for your church or your school or your business,” Shaw said. “It’s applicable to many different places.”

Anyone can create a certified firefly habitat by completing the program. Shaw said moist areas, such as those near creeks, ponds and other wetlands, would be ideal spots to create firefly habitats. She also noted lightning bugs enjoy trees, tall grass, rotten logs and leaf litter. 

“It’s finding places where they should be and then just helping to protect that area for [the] future,” she said. 

Fireflies face a variety of threats, including light pollution, defined as the brightening of the night sky by street lights and other artificial sources. Such lights can disrupt courtship among fireflies, which rely on their lanterns to find mates. 

Habitat loss due to urban development and pesticide use is also impacting firefly populations. To help, Shaw said residents can turn off their porch lights before dusk throughout the summer, when fireflies are most active, and avoid using pesticides. 

“Instead of spraying pesticide on our gardens, we could simply make a firefly habitat and invite the larvae to have a safe place to stay and then they will help take care of our pesky bugs,” Shaw said. 

As larvae, fireflies benefit the environment by controlling populations of invertebrates such as slugs and snails, which can damage and kill plants if left unchecked by natural predators. As adults, they feed on pollen and nectar, benefiting a variety of flowering plants. 

Fireflies are members of the beetle family, with scientists estimating there are about 2,000 firefly species worldwide, including nearly 200 in North America.