Yes, dragonflies provide natural mosquito control.
These beautiful, colorful insects are gifts from Mother Nature, lovely to look at, and a natural mosquito predator.
You might have seen popular social media posts about dragonflies being an effective source for all-natural mosquito control. Who wouldn’t want to see these lovely insects flying around their yard, chomping on mosquitoes to protect our family from mosquito bites and the harmful illnesses mosquitoes carry? Take a look at this video of a dragonfly exterminating a mosquito!
Can you attract dragonflies to your yard to help control the mosquito population?
Yes, you can! Dragonflies, like mosquitoes, require still water in which to lay their eggs. A backyard pond or small water feature, up to two feet in depth will attract both insects. Dragonflies will search for plant life in the still water, such as water lilies, in which to lay their eggs. One dragonfly can lay a clutch of 1,500 eggs at a time. Within seven days, these eggs will emerge as larvae, which feed on neighboring mosquito larvae. Depending on the particular species of dragonfly, they can remain in their larval stage from two months, up to seven years. Even though you might not see beautiful dragonflies taking flight around your yard, the larvae will work hard to eliminate mosquitoes before they become adults. The crucial issue is…will you have more dragonfly larvae than mosquito larvae?
What if you don’t want to take the chance at attracting more mosquitoes than dragonflies with a pond?
If you fear that a still body of water in your yard might attract more mosquitoes than dragonflies, there are other ways of attracting them. Adult dragonflies are attracted to black-eyed Susans. If you plant those in your yard, you might find that you naturally attract mosquito-hungry dragonflies! Other plants that they are attracted to are swamp milkweed and Joe-pye weed. They are not attracted to the plants themselves, but are drawn to tiny pollinating insects that inhabit these flowers.
What if dragonflies are not enough to control the mosquitoes in your yard?
If the dragonflies are not eliminating enough mosquitoes from you lawn, reputable mosquito control companies offer all-natural solutions. All-natural mosquito control solutions are comprised of a base of essential oils, which deter blood-seeking mosquitoes from entering your outdoor area. These barrier mosquito sprays are applied to your yard about every two weeks during mosquito season, and can eliminate up to 85% of mosquitoes. If your backyard is a common space for outdoor entertaining or relaxing, and you want to keep it essentially mosquito-free without the use of insecticides, all-natural mosquito control is the answer.
Protect your family all season long from mosquito bites.
I highly recommend the professional natural mosquito control approach for your Central Mass home. Natural mosquito predators don’t always provide enough mosquito protection, but with a little help from mosquito control professionals, you can enjoy your outdoor spaces this spring, summer, and fall.