Delightful Dragonflies

I can tell it’s summer because the dragonflies are whirling and darting around the yard. They aren’t still very often but this one stopped for a rest on my front porch. Here's another one that stopped on the walkway.

Dragonflies are usually found around lakes, ponds, and wetlands because their larva, called nymphs, are aquatic.  Adults and larva are beneficial because they help control the mosquito population. Adult dragonflies are feared by mosquitoes. Just hearing the whir of dragonfly wings supposedly scares mosquitoes away.  Adults also eat bees, ants, and butterflies. Nymphs feast on mosquito larvae as well as worms, crustaceans, small fish and tadpoles.

 

With all the rain we’ve had recently conditions are right for a bumper crop of those pesky mosquitoes.  I hope the dragonfly population surges, too. There’s nothing like natural mosquito control.