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Visitor's Firefly
Stories
On this page are emails
I've received from people who have taken time to share their own stories and
memories about fireflies.
Comments?
I'd love to hear from you too!
I enjoyed your writings about fireflies. I started looking things up about
them after my 9 year old granddaughter finally discovered them. (we live
in Colorado and she was camping with relatives in Kansas and discovered this
little joy of nature).
Amazing! My
husband and I took the dogs on a walk Thursday eve down a
path near our home here in Virginia. The time was around
9:15P. As we approached a small wooded area, we noticed the
trees lit up like Christmas trees with THOUSANDS (and more)
fireflies. As we entered the pitch black wooded area, we did not
notice them any longer. It was so black in the midst of the
woods even the dogs were a bit frightened. The fireflies' lights
would have set us at ease! Once we exited the woods at the
opposite end, thousands more lightning bugs lit up the exit.
It was magical, exciting, wonderful and romantic all at the same
time. What a lovely experience! We have never seen
anything like it and hope to see it again soon! This firefly
encounter excited us to learn about this phenomena.
I'm in Connecticut and
have been seeing lightning bugs here since the second week in May. To the best of my knowledge and other people
around here, no one can remember seeing them around here till the end of
June/4th of July. Also, they are flying at tree-top level and zipping
around, not meandering about and we all remember them as flying low in the
bushes. I know this past winter was a long and hard one but we all didn't
collectively lose our minds. Observing this early and odd behaviour of the
fireflys here this year is starting to freak us out. Is it normal to their
nature, is it a reaction to weather?, or are we crazy?
Are there still no
commercial locations for purchasing fireflies? We don't see too
many in Utah, it would sure be nice to see more!
I have been informed
by my grandmother that fireflies once DID reside about 30 miles
west of Salt Lake City, Utah. I am not ready to give up on the
pursuit of raising fireflies from their larvae stage and having
their glowing butts light up my yard. They bring such a peace to
my broken heart. What is the world coming to when you can't even
raise some of God's finest creatures for all the money in the
world?
They're hereeeeeeeeee!! In NC, pulled a typicial 'southern
stunt' last week---grabbed the digital camera and was trying to
take a picture as close up of them as i could. DO YOU KNOW
HOW HARD IT IS TRYING TO FOCUS A CAMERA WHILE YOU'RE TRIPPING OVER
THINGS AT THE EDGE OF THE WOODS GOING AT FULL GALLOP? After
getting conked by a few limbs I just held the camera out and
clicked away. After a few minutes of this, I hurried
inside--downloaded and yeah, right I forgot to do the no-flash
thing! but I got some pretty pictures of trees, bushes and
NOT A SINGLE YELLOW GLOW DID I GET!!!! I'll have to pull
another 'southern stunt' and get a chair situated in the right
spot and wait for nightfall. This time I'll have the
binoculars ready with the camera 'duct taped' (another southern
thing as you know) to the noc's so I can really zoom in on those
'fast flying beautiful works of nature' and if, mind you IF I
happen to get a picture I'll email it to you.
No fireflies in N.
J. yet. We have no cicadas either. Just lots and lots
of ants. I bought some peppermint oil and put it on
cotton, ringed around my computer. I would hate for the
little darlings to get into the computer's works and mess it up.
Or electrocute their little selves.
By the way, we
called them lightening bugs in Virginia when I was growing up.
I am doing some columns about alternatives to TV.
Catching lightening bugs and putting them in jars and setting them
beside the bed to watch was mentioned.
My Aunt Mil would pay me a nickel
for each firefly I caught. It's a good way to teach a girl
not to be afraid of bugs. I miss my Aunt Mil.
... The sheer delight of sitting on
the porch on a calm, star-filled night, using fireflies or locusts
to hone your by-site-and-sound shotgun snap shooting skills.
...used to catch 'em as a kid. To quote John Wayne, sorta,
"I never shot no firefly that didn't deserve it".
Never met one in my younger days that "deserved it".
And since there are no fireflies in Colorado, none are getting
shot around here either..
Do you know when the fireflies will
be in Tennessee. I know there is only 3 weeks when the
special fireflies are at metcalf bottoms in the smoky moutains.
Enjoyed you web page. You may enjoy
my story about fireflies entitled "Summer Dance of the
Fireflies." It was inspired by my childhood experience
living in Brooklyn NY and waiting for the summer fireflies to
arrive in an old vacant lot.
just thought you might want to know
that we have seen our first fireflies of the season.
April 12th, my husband thought he saw them and we both have seen
several tonight, April 13th.
We were discussing how early they are this year and in doing a
search to determine the time of year they "come out".. I
found your site.
I am a pre school teacher in
California and have wonderful hands on science tables in my
classroom. I teach 3-4-5 year olds. I would like to know if there
is anywhere I can purchase some fireflies?
I was hoping to find information on when fireflies tend to make
their yearly appearance, and you indicated usually June and July,
when summer begins. Last year I went
out to visit friends who now lived in Missouri. I went in
September and was disappointed to have missed the glow guys. As a
California native who has not travelled a lot, I was hoping I
would see them.
My question: Do you
think the end of May (Memorial Day) would be too early for the
bugs to show up? I know it depends on whether the summer starts to
heat up early, but in your experience as a resident in states
where they live, what have you found? I plan to make a return
visit this year and silly though it may sound, I'd like to arrange
it so I could see these magical critters. Would mid-June be a
safer bet?
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Copyright 2001-2006 Sheila Moss
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