How can I attract dragonflies to my backyard pond?

Question

My garden and pond are in the planning stages now. I'm hoping that the dragonflies would predate on the mosquitoes, of which there are TONS.

Mosquitoes aside, I'd just love to have the dragonflies!

Tips would be appreciated!

Answer 1

Hi green, the dragonflies come on their own if you have a balanced pond , maybe some gold fish ( or koi , guppies whatever) for the larva, aqutic plants , no insectacides etc. Remember a pond needs sun. Don´t be afraid of algea , waterlilies shade the pond a little from too much sun.  Good luck.

Answer 2

I'm not sure..But I do know there is a show on Animal Planet with something about habitats. Maybe consider going to Animal Planet.com and look around...They have a bunch of Great tips!

Good Luck!   :)

Answer 3

You can buy dragonfly eggs

Answer 4

I built my pond and followed some basic principles for attracting dragonflies and this is what I learned...The ideal dragonfly pond should vary in depth, shallow at the edges and at least two feet deep in the center. Deep water offers nymphs a refuge from raccoons and other predators. Varied depths are also important to accommodate a variety of water plants. It's not that the nymphs or adults eat the plants. The underwater plants provide important habitat for the nymphs, which need places to rest, hunt for food and hide from predatory fish.

Vegetation, rushes and other plants that stick up above the water's surface--provides perching places for adults. Such vegetation is also critical for dragonflies because the nymphs crawl up it when they emerge, making the transformation from water dweller to their free-flying adult form. And though dragonflies don't rely on specific host plants to nourish their young the way butterflies do, some species do use water plants as nurseries. They insert their eggs into the soft stems.

What you plant around the pond is almost as important as what you plant in it. Don't mow the border, let the grasses and rushes grow. Make sure you have some shrubs within a few feet of the water, they will provide perching sites. Reeds, and rushes and grasses with seed heads are good choices for your pond's edge.

Many garden shops and catalog suppliers now sell all kinds of plants for water gardens. Look for species native to your area. Put a few flat rocks near the pond's edge. Dragonflies like to warm up by basking in the sun. Some species are attracted to light-colored rocks.

Now I have in our garden, not only dragonflies, but hummers, gold finches and too many other birds to list, and lots of butterflies, too.