ENJOY THE FIREFLIES THIS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND
(Image Jessica Lucia_Creative Commons)
If you spray pesticides in your yard you are not only killing pests. You are killing good bugs that keep them in balance and the beautiful insects we think of hand in hand with summer and childhood, like butterflies and fireflies. Fireflies emit light without generating heat when the enzyme luciferase acts on the chemical luciferin in the firefly’s tail. There are fewer and fewer fireflies, likely because of many factors, including light pollution that interferes with mating and decreasing amounts of native shrubs and trees. But one major factor is pesticides, and that is easy for us to change. So this Fourth of July holiday enjoy the evenings in healthy yards lit up by fireflies and the wonder and joy they inspire!
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