this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
865 points (100.0% liked)

Science Memes

14489 readers
1373 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
865
fireflies (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
all 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 123 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Who knew that by being lazy with yard work, I was doing the right thing all along. I do see fireflies out back during the summer. I thought it was just that we live fairly close to the edge of town.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Nature is best cared for by leaving it the fuck alone.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Other than the forest fire prevention that native Americans used to perform, I would agree.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Even this can have negative impacts. More frequent, smaller forest fires allows for the "fuel" to be burned off in small quantities. If you go too long without the fuel being used, it builds up, until you get a very large forest fire. Which happened a few weeks ago (sparked by the other right conditions, of course)

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You just described the cultural burning practices that were in place for thousands of years though.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Right, which I would say is not forest fire prevention, since they are starting forest fires. It's more so forest fire mitigation. Perhaps that's getting into semantics, but I thought it was a necessary clarification.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Thank you, no that makes total sense

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Yes, occasional small forest fires are actually good for nature. Young trees csn grow, more resistant than the old wood against storms and pests. A lot in nature even relies on those cycles, pioneer weeds as an example. We really only made things more convenient for us short term with managed woods, without understanding half of it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

i thought there was a group that actually made small fires in forests for this reason. im pulling from a severe backlog in my mind so im just going to comment this and someone can tell me if im wrong or right 😂

[–] [email protected] 79 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Okay scientists, is this for real? Would leaving leaves out help with the fireflies, because they really are rare.

[–] [email protected] 146 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, leaving leaf coverage is great for all kinds of larvae. Leaving them alone also slows weeds from growing and as the leaves break down they fertilize the soil.

The modern problem is that there are not enough critters roaming around to naturally step on foliage to break them down.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago

Send the kids to play outside, easy

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

So some sort of cylinder with animal feet attached, I drag it over the yard a couple times through the fall and winter?

[–] Worx 6 points 2 months ago

Please do not kill a bunch of animals and attach their feet to a cylinder 😭

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

You win the gruesome mental image for this afternoon - nice.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago

I think it depends on the species. Also, most species have non-flying females.

[–] [email protected] 66 points 2 months ago

Around here they made a comeback in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. The reason why was they stopped spraying the forests for pine beetles. It was noticeable and now its back to nearly nothing. Its poisen. Nothing more, nothing less. The fireflies die so some undeserving investor gets more money.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 2 months ago

Same for ladybird beetles (ladybugs)! They love undisturbed autumn leaves and are natural pest control, so you should give them any opportunity possible to over-winter their eggs in your yard :)

[–] [email protected] 49 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The sprays really kill them. The fireflies will not cross into my neighbors’ lawns, where they treat their grass.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Your neighbor does what with their grass?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Spray shit on it to kill the dandelions.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 48 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'm doing my part. Haven't raked leaves in at least 20 years.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

Me neither!

... Although I live in a desert and haven't seen fireflies anywhere else in ages... Lol

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago

Now let's talk about the Kentucky bluegrass lawns the leaves fall on...

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago

Grub killers like Grub-x kill firefly larva as collateral damage. The thing is firefly grubs eat other grubs so if you made your area nicer to fireflies you wouldn't need the grub killer.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

I thought only the males lit up? Not judging, but egg laying might pose a problem.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

It's both. It's a beautiful little call and response like system they have evolved to do. Typically the males will light up while they are flying and the females light up on the ground. There are some species that are predatory though and will mimic and use the lights to hunt the others.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

skill issue