Roadrunners, horney toads, NOW lightening bugs? (Houston, San Antonio: house, living in, dangerous)

[lonestar2007]

Now another favorite of mine here in Texas in addition to horney toads and roadrunners is the lightening bug or as some of y'all might refer to it as a firefly. Used to be, when night came you could see them everywhere, now it very rare to see them anymore, at least where I live. We still see them every so often, but only a few. When we were kids, we could fill up a quart mason jar in no time with these little bugs. Sometimes we would twist a little johnson grass in our 'lamp' to make it more decorative as the lightening bugs flitted around in it. The more bugs you could catch and put in your 'lamp', the brighter it would be.

We are becoming more and more populated here (just south of Fort Worth). I don't know if that has anything to do with it, or again the pesticides, or what, but they are not often seen in this area. I miss them. How bout it folks, are they disappearing from your areas or do you still have them around?

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

Now another favorite of mine here in Texas in addition to horney toads and roadrunners is the lightening bug or as some of y'all might refer to it as a firefly. Used to be, when night came you could see them everywhere, now it very rare to see them anymore, at least where I live. We still see them every so often, but only a few. When we were kids, we could fill up a quart mason jar in no time with these little bugs. Sometimes we would twist a little johnson grass in our 'lamp' to make it more decorative as the lightening bugs flitted around in it. The more bugs you could catch and put in your 'lamp', the brighter it would be.

We are becoming more and more populated here (just south of Fort Worth). I don't know if that has anything to do with it, or again the pesticides, or what, but they are not often seen in this area. I miss them. How bout it folks, are they disappearing from your areas or do you still have them around?

Another great memory, Lonestar! I too remember those lightning bug swarms as a kid. Like stardust had fallen to earth and come to life.

I swear I ain't trying to self-promote here, but I once wrote a little short-story where the backdrop of it was the lightning bugs on summer nights. Here it is if you might want to peruse it a bit and see if it matches your own recollections. (this is not the whole story, only as except from it):

Southern memoir - Family Reunion - Randy Hill

Anyway, yes, sadly, there are disappearing from around here too. My kids never got to experience that natural fireworks show I did. *sighs* I once asked a biology professor -- a native West Texas boy -- about it, and he said one of the reasons is that the same pesticide that is used to kill moquitoes, unfortunately, also kills lightning bugs...

[love roses]

I see the EXTREMELY rare one in the field behind my house, and one was actually in my house once. I remember living in Brazoria and there were TONS of them. When I say rare "one" that's usually about the number of it. My daughter gets all excited, but I really wish I could show her how spectacular it is!

[case44]

Growing up, I lived on an acre and 3/4 in Grand Prairie, and we'd have a few fireflies going around at night. I didn't want them getting too close.

[spursfan]

I had actually seen a few in the San Antonio area late in the summer for the first time. Maybe they migrated down here

[usernameLOL]

We called them "glow worms." And it's been a long time since I saw one.

[HappyTexan]

I see quite a few on my property. My son and I catch them with our hands (two hands cupped). When I do see them in the evening I always stop and appreciate them. I'm lucky to still be living in the country.

[ozonehole]

Fireflies have been dying off all over the world. No one is sure why, but among the theories are pollution, pesticides and the fact that fireflies get confused by artificial light (that humans create).

[loves2read]

I have lived in TX almost all my half century plus--grew up in rural area east of San Antonio and lived in Houston and now Tarrant county--lightening bugs have been gone since my kids were small in the cities--were still around in the country where my folks lived when we would take the kids for visits but think they are pretty scarce there now as well

the spraying for pesticides seems to be the culprit to me--Houston especially has massive spraying program in past for mosquitoes--now many cities know how dangerous that is and have curtained those programs somewhat...

sad to see them go--