Nature awakens in spring, but you’ll have to wait until the beginning of summer to enjoy this spectacle: the mating ritual of the fireflies. Watching the luminous dance of these tiny beetles is a unique experience, whether you are a romantic or an amateur biologist.
Fortunately, even in a city with over a million inhabitants like Cologne, there are secluded corners where, with a bit of luck, you can observe this phenomenon. Here you will find a list of the best places in Cologne to watch fireflies.
Remote, damp areas
Fireflies are rather shy animals when it comes to encounters with humans. They usually stay in dark areas where there are hardly any people around, especially where there is no light or sound pollution. They also prefer damp places, such as meadows with long grass, forest edges or bodies of water. According to local magazines and blogs, the beetles have been spotted in two places in recent years. One is opposite the open-air and garden school (Freiluga) in Belvederestraße and the other is in the green belt between Subbelrather Straße and Vogelsanger Straße.
If you’re looking for dark, wooded areas or bodies of water, you could be in luck here too:
- Wahner Heide
- Königsforst
- Gierather Forest
- Dellbrück Heath
- Worringer Bruch
- Outer green belt
Interestingly, you can currently do something good with your firefly spotting. Under the title “Blinded by the night”, the city of Cologne is calling for people to count the firefly population. The project aims to raise awareness of the threat to nocturnal insects. In the case of these little beetles, the illumination of the night and the lack of light-dark contrast make it difficult for them to find a mate.
The glowing season
Fireflies only glow during their mating season, from mid-June to the end of July. The peak is at the end of the first month, which is why they are traditionally called St. John’s beetles in reference to St. John’s Day.
However, fireflies are very picky when it comes to specific nights when they light up. They only fly on warm nights when the temperature at night is around 18 to 20 degrees. For this reason, it has happened that the mating season has started late in June or almost in July. But the question remains: Why do fireflies glow at all?
A biochemical phenomenon
As you may have already guessed, the aim of glowing is to find a mate. Fireflies do this because of the enzyme luciferase, which they produce themselves. As soon as it comes into contact with oxygen particles, it releases energy in the form of light. This phenomenon of natural light production is commonly known as bioluminescence. According to scientists, fireflies are even more efficient than light bulbs, as they convert around 95 percent of the energy into light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAR83k2FtYA
Attracting fireflies to the garden
Maybe you’re tired of looking for these little bugs at night and wish they would come to you. Well, if you have a garden, there’s definitely a chance! The first step is to grow natural wildflowers in a corner and avoid night lighting or pesticides. Even better is to add a few rocks: These are the natural hiding places of snails, and fireflies are real snail hunters.
The original article was published by Max Hailer on Secret München.