Dragonflies are natural predators to mosquitoes, so if you attract them by planting the right plants into your garden, you will finally say goodbye to these annoying and dangerous insects!

We all love to spend our time in nature when the weather warms up. Who is not looking forward to those peaceful and hot summer evenings in the backyard?

Spring and summer are everyone’s favorites, I believe, and they would have been flawless if it weren’t for the mosquitoes! Yup, mosquitoes can spoil any party!

Apart from their annoying and itchy bites, mosquitoes can also be very dangerous, as they can spread various viruses and illnesses:

• Zika virus-- Mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus attack their victims in the daytime. This virus results in fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.
• Malaria-- Every year, about 1,700 people have health problems with malaria. Its causes flu-like symptoms, fever, and chills. If not treated right, malaria can escalate into serious illness.
• West Nile virus-- 1 in 5 people has a fever along with other symptoms. According to statistics, the virus causes severe symptoms, affecting 1 in 150 people.
• Dengue-- Each year, about 400 million people need medical treatment as a result of dengue. Approximately 1 in 4 infected people have serious symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, rash, and pain. The symptoms are gone in 2-7 days.
• Chikungunya virus-- Chikungunya virus causes fever, joint pain, headache, muscle ache, and rash. The healing process lasts about a week, but the convalescents treat joint pain for a few months.

This just points out the importance of mosquito repellence.

Even though people have been using DEET products in the fight against these insects since forever, you might decide to do it in a completely natural way- with the help of dragonflies!

These insects prey on mosquitoes and a 2013 study proved that they naturally control their number.

According to landscaper Christine Cook:

“Because they’re top predators in the insect world, they keep a balance with the insects in your yard.”

Being carnivores, their diet includes mosquitoes, flies, and other small insects. Spiders, insect-eating birds, and frogs are above them in the food chain, being their natural predators.

Dragonflies prosper near small streams and ponds. Fully grown dragonflies fly away from their habitat and hunt their prey in the open air. During winter, some species hide in waters, and some of them go south, as they lose the ability to fly when temperatures drop below 65F.

These insects thrive for several months, and even for years, in the case of optimal conditions.  Therefore, all you have to do is to attract dragonflies to your home, and you can finally say goodbye to mosquitoes!

Make sure you offer them shelter to protect them from birds and frogs. Dragonflies love fresh water and plants with different heights.

You can build them a shallow pond in a protected area, add some flat stones around the edges, for dragonflies to rest and soak in the sun, and stones that will serve as hiding spots for larvae during the underwater growth stage.

Moreover, plant plants that will attract them, such as dwarf Sagittaria, yarrow white wildflower, cattail, water lily, wild celery, white yarrow, meadow sage, water horsetail, arrowhead, black-eyed Susan, swamp milkweed, and Joe Pye weed.

LiliesWaterGardens.co.uk also adds:

“Dragonflies spend most of the lives as nymphs under the water, so when the time comes for them to take to the skies, they emerge out of the water by climbing the stems of their favored pond plants. Glyceria Maxima is one such plant as it has perfect stems and leaves for the newly emerged dragonflies to cling to while they dry off and expand their wings.”

Apart from all the other benefits these plants will offer to you and your family, they will also keep the annoying mosquitos at bay!

It is this easy!

Source: preparednessmama.com