Curious Citizen Erin PavlichÂ
Erin came forward with a question that a lot of folks who grew up in the Chicago area may ask themselves during some summer or another â or at least during a lightning bug season that comes and goes with no glow:Â What happened to all the lightning bugs?Â
(Answer:Â http://wbez.is/2a1t4S9Â )
A compliance officer at a financial services firm, Erin grew up catching fireflies in suburban Western Springs, but doesnât seem to be netting as many in her new home in Glen Ellyn. Her two kids arenât quite to lightning-bug-catching age yet (theyâre ages 1 and 3) but she wants to make sure they can have as many long nights with a mason jar full of lightning bugs as she did.
After learning the factors that make firefly populations vary from year to year and even neighborhood to neighborhood, Erinâs considering some changes that have a chance to bring back some summer evening light shows.Â
âI think I might take a look at my landscaping to see if thereâs some areas we can encourage some more natural environments,â she says. âMaybe we can incorporate something thatâs more conducive to lightning bugs.â












