Tips on How to Attract Fireflies to Your North Dakota Yard This Summer

It's finally summer, so if you're like me, you're enjoying the swimming pools, lemonade, tanning in your lawn chairs, and getting out on the Missouri River sandbars.

Earlier, I was thinking back to all the things I used to do in the summer as a kid. I remembered running through the sprinklers in my backyard, playing hopscotch, riding my bike, and even catching lightning bugs in the evening. Yes, summer nights bring a lot of unwanted bugs, but who doesn't love fireflies?

I thought, wait a minute - when was the last time I saw a lightning bug? I remember seeing them every summer. Are they extinct? Granted, I did grow up in Illinois, so I thought maybe they aren't really a thing in North Dakota. I did a little digging to find out what the situation is here in North Dakota.

Fireflies In North Dakota

Sadly, it's much more difficult to see firefly magic in North Dakota. You would think with all of the open air and lack of trees we'd have a better view of them, but according to World Population Review, fireflies are actually pretty rare in North Dakota.

The source says we have only 1-9 species of fireflies in the state. When you compare that to other states, you see places like Texas have as many as 53 species of the insect.

How to Attract Fireflies

According to Garden for Wildlife, if you want to see some fireflies in North Dakota, you're going to have to work for it a little bit. Here are a few things you can do.

1. Get Planting!

If you want to lure some fireflies into your backyard, you should load up on plants. Yep, plant as much in your garden as you can, according to

2. Leave Leaves In Your Yard

The source says larvae often live on things like leaves and logs. Leave them there so they can hatch.

3. Eliminate Outdoor Lighting

If you want to see and attract fireflies, you need to turn off the lights. Too much light disrupts the lights they use to communicate with each other.

4. Pine Trees

The source says fireflies love pine trees because they provide a dark, safe space for them to rest during the day.

5. Add Water

Because fireflies love moisture, adding a moving water feature will help you get some lightning bugs into your yard.

There you have it. There are several ways you can get these nifty critters to show up in your backyard. Now, will all of these things attract other, less fun bugs? Probably...but it's a small price to pay for something so cool and majestic.