Late June and July are the best times to see the bugs with the lights on their butts, or fireflies in layman’s terms. These little guys are pretty cool, and I’ve only seen them a couple of times in my life.
First of all, how do they produce light? It’s actually how they talk to each other. Fireflies produce their own light through a natural chemical reaction in their bodies called bioluminescence. Males flash specific patterns to attract mates, while females respond with flashes of their own. Each species has its own unique light “language.”
If you want to see them, it has to be very dark! Light pollution has really decreased sightings of fireflies and has made them much rarer to see.
The best places to find them are wet areas like marshes, wet fields, meadows, and the edges of forests. There are tons of places that match that description on the South Shore! Just make sure it’s dark enough!
