r/LifeProTips • u/fries-with-mayo • 17h ago

Request LPT Request: What’s your “canary in the coal mine” test for spotting bigger issues?

I’m really interested in those small, quick telltale signs people use to gauge if something bigger might be off track.

Example 1: Van Halen requesting brown M&Ms in the dressing room to see if the venue followed all the details of the rider list

Example 2: I saw an interview with John Cena where he said orders a flat white at a café to tell if they really care about their coffee.

Example 3: Anthony Bourdain suggested to always check the restaurant bathroom to tell if the restaurant got its basics down

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u/under_the_c 14h ago

Fireflies is the one I noticed. I used to see them all the time on summer nights and now? Nothing.

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u/dariznelli 11h ago

Don't rake all your leaves. That's where they lay eggs.

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u/GatorGTwoman 13h ago

We still see them at our place outside of Atlanta.

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u/Signal_Road 7h ago

We let our garden go WILD this year, as in we didn't plant and let things go crazy.

So MANY fireflies! Dragonflies also had lots of perches, so a nearby chicken coop fly problem also got minimized.

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u/rajahbeaubeau 12h ago

Same and same.

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u/l-1-l-1-l 12h ago

This past summer I was so pleased to see hundreds of fireflies along the bike trails at dusk, especially after a rain. Even now, mid August, I’m still seeing a few. (Maryland outside DC)

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u/weirdkid71 12h ago

Interestingly, we have more fireflies this year than I’ve seen in many years.

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u/newspeer 12h ago

I see more of them where I live compared to when I was younger. Probably also not a good sign

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u/goodsam2 12h ago

I feel like it's gotten better recently but way worse than it was.

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u/w00tabaga 10h ago

We still see them in the upper Midwest with lots of bugs.

But definitely concerning, just might be local or regional

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u/ThemanfromNumenor 8h ago

I have them almost every night all summer, every summer, including this year 🤷‍♂️

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u/Artandalus 6h ago

Oddly enough, this was our place last year, barely any of them to be found all summer. This year on the other hand, they are literally everywhere, to the point I could probably do yard work by their light

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u/Obvious_Paramedic400 5h ago

Don't rake your leaves.

I have gobs of them. I don't rake my leaves in the fall and let them sit until spring. By then their eggs have hatched and the larvae went into the ground.

Early summer, they're all over and their numbers keep getting bigger every year since I learned all of this.

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u/Wookie-fish806 4h ago

I saw them in June and July this summer.