How To Attract DRAGONFLIES For A MOSQUITO FREE Yard And Garden!

In this video, I share how to attract dragonflies for a mosquito free yard and garden! Dragonflies are nature's mosquito control. A single adult dragonfly consumes dozens of mosquitoes a day, and swarms of dragonflies can eat thousands! I attracted armies of dragonflies to my yard, and my mosquito problem has been eliminated! I want to teach you how to do this!
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on earth, killing an estimated 750,000 to 1 million humans each year by spreading lethal diseases from person to person. But aside from the danger, mosquitoes are downright annoying and can ruin an otherwise perfect spring or summer evening by making your backyard unusable. I have a creek behind my backyard, and I had terrible mosquito problems that made it impossible to go outside on warm evenings. I knew I had to do something, and constantly spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes was not the solution. Instead, I took a natural approach and transformed my backyard and garden into an oasis for dragonflies. Now, my backyard colonizes enormous populations of dragonflies. You'll see them practically everywhere throughout the video. By attracting dragonflies to my yard, they are controlling insects for me so I no longer have to. It's absolutely incredible.
In addition to mosquitoes, dragonflies eat gnats, flies, beetles, moths and other nuisance insects. The insect control benefits are endless. This video will teach you how to attract dragonflies to your yard, and it only takes 3 easy steps.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 My Backyard Mosquito Problem
1:35 Incredible Dragonfly Facts
3:24 Tip #1: Dragonfly Perches
5:18 Tip #2: Ecosystem Biodiversity
8:29 Tip #3: Maintaining The Population
12:19 Adventures With Dale
If you have any questions about how to attract dragonflies to your garden, want to know about the things I grow in my raised bed vegetable garden and edible landscaping food forest, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and garden hacks, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and "how to" garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the Comments below!
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ABOUT MY GARDEN
Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
34.1°N Latitude
Zone 8A
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© The Millennial Gardener
#gardening #garden #gardeningtips #dragonflies #mosquito

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you enjoyed this video, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊 TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 My Backyard Mosquito Problem 1:35 Incredible Dragonfly Facts 3:24 Tip #1: Dragonfly Perches 5:18 Tip #2: Ecosystem Biodiversity 8:29 Tip #3: Maintaining The Population 12:19 Adventures With Dale

[@chanaburns3030]

So so helpful! I'm building raised beds in my first gardening adventure, and the gnats have been making me CRAZY. Mosquitoes too, of course. Love this pest control solution, but I'm curious to see if this will work for me since my climate in north NJ is pretty different from the Carolinas. Excited to try though. I've always loved dragon flies

[@mariavenner2823]

I personally like having bats around, but i love the idea of dragon flys.

[@spectator3308]

As far as dragonflies' behavior is concerned, I read several years ago - probably accounts by entomologists - that both larvae and adults can bite if they feel threatened, e.g. touched with a finger in order to be picked up, or held by their abdomen (petting is, as you show in your video, a much gentler touch) to collect; they would curl back and bite with their powerful jaws. There have also been rare cases of dragonfly females sometimes trying to lay eggs into the skin of human legs, which is akin to a sting, as the ovipositor is used to insert eggs into aquatic plants or soft damp soil, so it could puncture human skin if a confused dragonfly would mistakenly try egg-laying onto/into a human body. But the reasons for such mistakes remain unclear. Namely, dragonflies tend to mind their own business and even if a curious territorial male is checking you out because you are close to its pond, it keeps its distance and easily evades collisions.

[@highpockets359]

Thank you!!

[@spectator3308]

@thegunsngloryshow Dragonflies will prey on flies as well. As will many (song)birds. Keep your kitchen waste and eventual humanure well covered by absorbent materials, such as sawdust, garden soil and pot soil, shredded paper and cardboard, all kept within an enclosed compost bin that has its lid, sides, bottom and ventilation openings rodent-hardehed (galvanized steel wire with screen windows of 1/4" should be fine) and preferably fly-proof (additional mosquito netting or unwoven agricultural textile for covering crops or weed suppression would do the job). Set hornet/wasp traps, which contain a mixture of sweet liquids, alcoholic beverages (wine and/or beer) and vinegar (this combination does not attract honeybees) and which also catch loads of flies and male mosquito. This trap is designed as a transparent plastic vessel whose bottom part is doughnut-shaped with handles for suspending strings/wires on its sides and where a central entrance is located and has a transparent plastic dome for its cover so that the daylight always shines from above; thus trapped insects try to go up to escape, where the "invisible" ceiling stops them and wears them down, so they eventually want to drink the sweet-sour solution in the bottom "doughnut" section, but cannot hold themselves onto the smooth inner walls indefinitely and inevitably fall into the liquid and drown. When the trap is full, remove it and place it on a flat surface, exposed to schorching sunlight and when all the trapped critters are dead, throw them into the aformentioned compost bin. Hornets and wasps will only go to this trap when they are past their predatory phase (at that time, they predominantly prey on flies and other insects to feed the generations of larvae) and they get into their "loitering", sweetness-seeking phase (usually the final phase from late summer to mid-autumn, before they die at the onset of the first frost) and when conflicts with humans begin in earnest.

[@danielmacgibbon1589]

In northern Louisiana we had a cabin near a large lake with lots of dragonflies. Mosquito populations were indescribably low, but we would get horseflies on occasion. One day we had an aggressive horsefly that was elusive to our sprays and attempts at swatting it out of the air - until it was suddenly and unexpectedly snatched out of mid-air by a huge dragonfly! It was amazing!

[@davidgraham2673]

I know it felt great to see a pesky horse fly taken down.

[@CrescentUmbreon]

Dragonfllies are apparently the most deadly predator on the planet. They can predict and calculate the best path of interception to their target. Near 99% success rate on these beasts.

[@davidgraham2673]

@@CrescentUmbreon , And they look effortless doing it. Two flicks of their wings, and they move twenty feet almost instantly.

[@margareth1504]

Beautiful! We have a few dragonflies about from time to time and I feel privilidged to have seen one when I do.

[@injunsun]

Up in East Michigan, we had horrendous deer flies, which will follow people to bite them! At Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, they often bite camper and staff, but there is a population of blue dragonflies up there as well. Perhaps they eat most of them, as down by the Little Blue Lake, one NEVER is bitten; only deeper into the forests around. I am so happy to have found people who understand the smaller connexions within our world, where tiny predators make everyone's lives more enjoyable. Well.... everyone but for the nasty, biting insects!

[@fondasarff9701]

They will communicate too. I was harvesting carrots into a water filled bucket when I discovered a lovely little red dragon fly with it's wings swamped in the water. He couldn't break the water tension. I slipped my fingers under him, scooped him out and sat him on a nearby plant continuing to harvest. Soon I heard a persistent buzzing by my left ear. I froze and slowly turned my head to see him hovering very near me. He stayed there for several seconds as my heart swelled. I said "you're welcome" and he went on his way. I'll never forget the encounter.

[@lizzieb6311]

That is amazing! I love that! Have you noticed too that when there’s one nearby they will rotate their body around to watch you as you move? They are so interesting!

[@hanginlaundry360]

So sweet! I just love them,!!!❤❤

[@44hawk28]

Many years ago, I was asked whether or not I wanted to do a job in South Africa. It was a private military operation. And I told them that I usually get eaten up badly by mosquitoes. I was told that about a week to 10 days before I head out, to take vitamin B2 a couple of times a day. It worked wonderfully. I rarely get bitten by mosquitoes anymore. I will either take a b complex vitamin daily or a B2 vitamin, and I don't even have to take it everyday. But my mosquito issues have pretty much abated back then, and have never returned. That is something to put into your hat for making sure that you and others in your household may have less of an issue with mosquitoes.

[@ler5299]

That's really interesting, thanks for posting. Mosquitoes see me coming a mile away.

[@privatecaller1418]

When my husband died, I returned from hospital, sat on grass in yard at dawn, numb, deep grief, broken spirit, within minutes hundreds of them covered me

[@whatcanisay333]

They work directly under our Creator, that is why they were sent to you, to remind you that you (we) are not alone :)0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKTVlo2Ij9iledEsi=qHq8WJXUem8Er7Oo

[@JannyMaha]

That's pretty remarkable

[@eb5671]

This is not the appropriate place to tell this story.

[@WaymondJr]

Makes me live nature even more ❤️ I'm sorry for your loss ...

[@ellielynn8219]

@@eb5671that’s not an appropriate response to someone sharing how dragonflies, which this video is about, brought her comfort in her (possibly) greatest moment of grief…

[@chapter4444]

Fun fact: Dragonflies are the most accurate hunters among all all species of insects, animals, birds, fish, reptiles ect. They have about a 98% success rate catching prey. For reference, a Lion is about 30%

[@chaoticnewtrl]

Truly making their Dragon heritage proud. Very cool fact.

[@freedomofreligion3248]

That's fascinating! Thx!

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

I now identify asna dragonfly

[@SURVIVOR-og6dl]

@@timothyandrewnielsen Yeah,we should hang out sometime

[@Sh0-tyme]

Ank ❗️Wrong. The African dog. Is the most accurate hunters on the planet. People will believe anything that has likes attached to it.

[@AyahuascaSage]

I was just reading an article about how humans are causing the insect population to collapse because of issues like overuse of pesticides and habitat destruction. Fostering a garden that dragonflies want to visit is so much better than dumping pesticides everywhere trying to keep mosquitoes away!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you are able to colonize them, you won't need much, if any pesticide. They really do a lot of the heavy lifting. Why spend time and money spraying if animals will do the work for you?

[@hoxiefam6731]

Unfortunately in Florida every county has a spraying program. It's very sad. You can actually make a report and they will come fog your neighborhood. Thankfully no one put in a report for our area this summer since I've been watching the map.

[@jacobbelfield9835]

Midwest raingarden plants that will serve as stakes or cables: Iris virginica, Iris fulva, cat tail, Juncus effusus, Joe Pye weed, hibiscus moschutos, hibiscus lasiocarpus, hibiscus, laevis. Prairie Moon Nursery and Missouri Wildflowers are great online nurseries. These plants also support multiple species of insects! Enjoy

[@MashaB-pk8hl]

There is no way the world can be fed without pesticides.

[@AyahuascaSage]

@@MashaB-pk8hl I said overuse. Nobody is forcing people to treat their lawns with pesticides, spray pesticides all over ornamental plants on their property, or fog their neighborhood with pesticides trying to target annoyances like mosquitos.

[@curlyrooster118]

I was trout fishing in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, and I met the most accommodating Dragon fly! It would sit on my fishing pole and attack every Fly, Wasp... whatever, keeping me bug free. In the Deepwoods I was in, this is almost considered a Mirical, that a festival should be declared and practiced with awe and joy.

[@spectator3308]

After 26 years of experience with garden ponds and dragonflies, I can say the following: as soon as the first pond was built, the first of those larger dragonflies arrived - even before that pond's water got stabilized for fish and plants to be introduced. And some of the dragonflies have been breeding here ever since. If you keep goldfish and feed them in moderation, they actually eat virtually all of the mosquito larvae, but can never eat all of dragonfly larvae, as these also grow to be larger - and actually prey on fish fry, the tiny fish offspring. Spring time cleaning, which is an annual necessity if such an eutrophic pond is to be kept in balance so as not to become a marsh and then a bog (and to not suffocate the fish and the larvae during the winter freeze), does somewhat disrupt the dragonfly larvae (and fish), but the larvae hide among the removed vegetation and muck and detritus thrown out with the muddy water. This, if left for a couple of hours near the pond, enables the larvae to instinctively return to the pond as it is being refilled with fresh water. So they return and still complete their lifecycle, despite the annual clean-ups. In a very small pond, however, even in the absence of fish, the larvae tend to prey upon each other if competition for food gets too tough.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's very interesting. While the man-made pond may have some downsides and all may not survive, at the end of the day you're creating more dragonflies by giving them a habitat that would otherwise not exist, so it's definitely a big positive. Great story.

[@spectator3308]

@@TheMillennialGardener Before the manmade ponds, there were only fruit trees and a meadow growing on that plot of land that had been a vegetable garden decades prior. But a river and some brooks are relatively close and dragonflies didn't have a long way to go.

[@kokigephart111]

Unfortunately dragonflies quit work at dusk.

[@heatherbryant4197]

@@kokigephart111 sounds like the addition of bats is in order

[@greenprobe]

Thank you for this comment, I recently took over care of a large pond with koi and goldfish after the owner passed and this will be useful knowledge. It is swarming with dragonflies, I've counted nearly a dozen species. They are fascinating critters.

[@jimriley9697]

It's ironic you put this out today, an hour ago I had a dragonfly perch on the top of my phone and I sat and observed him for awhile. Definitely one of the coolest bugs.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They’re oddly friendly toward humans. Most insects behave like robots, to me, but dragonflies have a personality. I swear, some enjoy being petted like a dog or cat.

[@jacquelinemiles6491]

Love them

[@mikechaffee4331]

That's called "a coincidence," not irony.

[@charlottesmom]

That has to be good luck!

[@bbbanks6912]

Or, meaningful coincidence, also known as synchronicity. Depending on the person's inner state or perception at that moment.@@mikechaffee4331

[@478Johnnyboy]

The dragonflies on those wires looked so funny to me it was almost like you have them trained 😂

[@patricklandis3910]

Yeah like a lightning rod….

[@dandeleona4760]

I can attest to this. I live next to a swamp and mosquitoes are so terrible, the animals won't go outside, not even the cat. The SAME DAY dragonflies hatch as adults, usually 1-2 weeks after mosquitoes do, the air is CLEANSED of mosquitoes. SAME DAY. They're so good at it, once they show up, I can leave my doors open without screens and not have a single mosquito get in the house. They really are very friendly. They let you get close and buzz around like they're playing with you. I had one hover in front of me, eye to eye. I said, "Am I ever GLAD to see YOU!" It hovered for a few seconds more and took off to go hunting. Two got caught in the garden netting chasing their prey, so the first one was a little panicked because I had to get close to twist it back out of the fibers. It calmed down and waited for me, then flew away. I came back for the second one, and it freaked out so I said, "Wait. Wait. I have an idea." and it calmed right down even tho I kept brushing its wings separating the threads. It waited a few seconds looking at me and then it took off too. Their nymphs are hideous crusty looking things and were growing in my bubbling water feature. I almost poisoned them with bleach thinking they were nuisance pests, but fortunately let them live after looking them up online.

[@deborahharvey854]

Always good to research before acting!

[@c.e.m7535]

Great story! Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@gregkral4467]

one of my favourite memories is when I got a bubble gun for my boy, and tested it out one morning, so many bubbles, dragonflies came from all around checking out the bubbles, must have been like 40 of em just chasing them and checking them out. they are so cool.

[@deepwaters2334]

I recommend Blue Fortune Hyssop for attracting dragonflies. Really, all pollinators love it, and it is both native & medicinal. It's the best flower I know for gardening.

[@spearageddon3279]

That looks just like African Blue Basil which is the best pollinator attractor in my yard, always loaded with bees every day.

[@vsznry]

All I do is hose down everything. Lol They love any water holes here in SoCal. Some were nymphs & grew older & i have a strange feeling they recognize me.

[@ML-ks2lj]

Stay in cali

[@TheMillennialGardener]

A good strategy in dry summer climates is to hose down your trees at sundown. The water droplets will collect on the leaves, and the insects can drink the droplets.

[@vsznry]

stay in perpettual christian fascism.@@ML-ks2lj

[@MrsB197something]

I confess I read your comment before I watched the video, now what you said after watching it makes sense. I often think the baby squirrels that grow up in my yard recognize me too when they're adults

[@Leisyt123]

I’ve only see seen dragonflies three times in my life living in SoCal

[@tarkusd7534]

Bats are also quite usefull when it comes to pest control especially since they start hunting in the spring where the dragonflies are still dormant and the hunting hours dont overlap during their season

[@alcopower5710]

Will the bats hunt dragonflies?

[@mikep490]

I found it amazingly easy to attract dragonflies. I dug a 12x20 pond (oval-oblong), with 1/3 going 4' deep, 1/3 in a "bog" with bog plants as well as floating plants. In winter 1/2 was covered by a "greenhouse" attached to foundation stones, stored when temps got up. This was a light weight "box" of corregated clear plastic and 1/2 PVC sloped to drain into the pond, with a single reflector light that came on when temps got below 40 degrees. It thrived with no pumps/aerators. I avoided other fish and used Gambusia, tiny fish (sort of like minnows) that would die back in winter and quickly populate to hundreds in summer. Plants, fish and hundreds of gallons of water balanced and thrived into an ecosystem. (Too much for some bog plants, which I did have to clear out yearly.) A year in DFs appeared. More than a dozen varieties of dragonflies appeared, more than I knew existed. This was along with various wildlife as well as 6 types of bees, water skippers, and all sorts of little critters. All this for, occasionally, topping off the water when summer heat dropped levels. The pond liner was destroyed (vandals) years ago but a few draggonflies seem to remember where G-granddad was born and return. This isn't in some remote swamp area, but in the middle of a fairly substantial city in the NW US. The fish ate any mosquitos, the plants balance waste, and the gambusia seemed to live off of algae, so water remained clearer once I dumped my filters, fountains, water pumps, and all the other costly (and proned to fail) human devices.

[@noscopeentertainment]

Would love to hear more about this. What kind of plants did you use? You mentioned 1/3 was 4’ and 1/3 was bog, what was the other 1/3? Do you think the greenhouse part of it is necessary?

[@mikep490]

@@noscopeentertainment I dug up a stump so, with the 18" of retaining blocks, it was 4' deep for an area about 5x6 feet, tapering up to about 7x18 feet. The bog was a "T" across that and about 7'x16 and 28" deep. with a lip to retain the sand. I lined it with rubber liner. A change of sprinklers allowed it to be "rained" on when watering the area so I only had to add water (evaporation) every 2 or 3 months during the summer. Filled, the bog was under 6 to 10" of water, it all making one big pond. The sandy bottomed bog was a couple feet wide x 10 feet. This gave enough depth for fish to swim away from predators. I bought bog plants and lily pads from the pond dealer but they, and many of the big fish, died when it froze over in winter. (The plants didn't like temps below 40.) That was why the portable greenhouse was added. A reflector light with a temp sensor kept the plants alive and zero ice underneath. Eventually the big fish were gobbled by cats, raccoons, and a big frog that somehow found his way there from miles away. The fish died because they liked to hide in the bog plants... so I went with Gambusia. Their numbers would drop in winter but in summer would take off. It balanced. Plants used up stuff they like, Gambusia ate algae, and it balanced for a decade, with just a simple bottom cleaning once a year. Rain water flowed off the greenhouse and into the uncovered portion of the pond. Bees, dragonflies, birds, water skippers, and all sorts of "natural" critters found their way to the tiny pond.

[@luizmaranhao4824]

Any videos about it? Thanks

[@luizmaranhao4824]

I like anything that will eat mosquitoes.😂

[@indigowarrior7842]

IKEA sleeper sofa

[@jeffreyboyd4719]

I have always loved dragonflies. They are one of my favorites. When I was a kid, we boys would catch them if we could, and let me tell you, that if I caught a big one, it was quite capable of biting the blood out of my finger! Dragonflies are absolutely beautiful. I have many varieties in my yard here in Northeast Texas, of all different colors. One type has brown stripes on its wings and has a white body. Just beautiful, a true joy to watch. It's like you say, they are one of the best beneficials we can have.

[@gregorywellssr7857]

It's funny that you're the only one to mention it,but yes,if you catch them the wrong way they will totally bite the crap out of you.

[@JannyMaha]

I never knew they could bite. Wow. Thx

[@w1975b]

Yep, I remember catching one by the tail when I was a kid and it bit me. Of course, I didn't know any better (about injuring it by catching it that way).

[@evecampbell7744]

Also, dragonflies are absolutely beautiful. All different colors!

[@tinman678]

Growing up on a Minnesota lake, dragonflies are EVERYWHERE. As a kid, they scared the hell out of me. We have alot of the smaller bright blue dragonflies that sit on your toes while you lounge in a lake, boat or in your chair on the porch. Just a really beautiful insect...

[@margaretbonanno654]

Here on the east coast in NJ we call the little blue ones Darning needles

[@sstephenson24]

Thank you! Natural organic gardening rules. If you try to control nature, you lose because …you can’t. BALANCE is the answer. There are lots of lessons in watching nature, but people forget about or don’t even know because of our shut up lives devoid of nature’s lessons. Thank you for your advice and wisdom!

[@starrystarrynight6281]

I love dragonflies. Last year one flew up to me and just hovered right in front of me for several seconds. I said "hey sweetheart how are you," and it may sound weird but I felt a connection with that beautiful insect. I live in Oklahoma City and they are rarely seen around our area. Thank you for helping them!!!

[@coloraturaElise]

I talk to our dragonflies all the time...I think they are intelligent and curious!

[@Nana2KCASBO]

I LOVE it when they do this along with hummingbirds 🥰

[@PridelessChickz]

Aww that's so lovely! God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the name above all names & the only way to Heaven💖

[@kimp2678]

I live just east of the Everglades. Dragonflies love my yard. I can always tell when I have a mosquito infestation outside my screened-in patio, because I'll have 40 or 50 dragonflies around the back of my house. Great information! I will give them more perches.

[@kellykoeller5535]

I live in Northern Arizona and this is the first time in at least ten years that it's rained enough for dragonflies to emerge. I even rescued one that had flown into the post office. So exciting to see them again here! Thanks for the tips!

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

Hi Kelly, r u married? Looking?

[@samsmom1491]

​@@timothyandrewnielsen Dude! That's wierd and creepy.

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

@@samsmom1491 If you think that's creepy, wait until you meet me in person. Where are we meeting?

[@10thletter40]

​@@timothyandrewnielsen Oh come on man

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's awesome! That means there must be someplace nearby maintaining the population. They must be naturalized in almost every state in the US at this point.

[@sylviel135]

You have transformed your property into a dream backyard!! I love dragon flies , they have a spiritual reference in quite a few cultures , especially as creators of visions of power and capturing light . Good info and great video ..Thankyou

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

I was just talking about using hummingbirds for mosquito control, but we have hordes of dragonflies as well. Installing a small wildlife pond, even if it is only 2x2x4' helps boost the critter count, adding more lizards and frogs, a gathering place for lightning bugs and dragonflies, who will still stop by for a snack even if the solitary goldfish in the pond already has the mosquito larva problem covered. That little bit of extra diversity is transformative!

[@blessedhummingbird4]

I have loved Dragonflies since I was young. My husband hung out in the garden this weekend with me and helped me harvest. He mentioned that there were way too many dragonflies. I chuckled and said "we need them babe" , while one landed right in front of us. Nature is amazing. Great video as always and Dale is so cute.

[@kandeeboone4702]

I have a screened in porch without a door. The Dragonflies sometimes get stuck on the porch. I have a net out there I use to take them off. I always know if I’m moving one that has been on the porch before. Because they are very smart. The first time I have to catch one it’s afraid of the net so they make me work for it. The second time I just have to put the net up next to them and they jump on and I take them back out. The first couple times that happened I was shocked. Now I’m just impressed. They are my very favorite insect

[@detocquevi11e]

I used to have an aquatic "umbrella plant" growing in my little pond which dragonflies perched on, and I'd watch as they repeatedly launched attacks on mosquitoes and other tiny bugs from it. Maintaining the plant (especially with goldfish who love to rummage through the mud/roots until there is nothing left, and left the water a muddy mess) was too problematic, so I removed it, and haven't had many dragonflies since. Will have to try out the bamboo stake method. Thanks!

[@sweynforkbeardtraindude]

Good advice as usual! I worked on attracting pollinators this summer. Dragonflies will be the goal next summer.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Excellent! A garden humming with bees and dragonflies cannot be beat!

[@JeanneKinland]

We had a huge swarm of dragon flies last night right before sunset we had a storm. More than usual. I always keep fresh water out for the birds. We have tall trellis hoops that we grow things on in the garden. There are a lot of stakes to support the plants too. I learned something here. I didn't realize I was creating a habitat that attracks them. We have lots of grass hoppers, bees, & spiders.

[@bellstewart5687]

Thank you so very much for educating us! As a little girl, I was so terrified of these creatures. How nice it is to look upon them now with appreciation 😊. Thank you again. Lady Bell

[@klee88029]

I am so happy to have zillions of dragonflies. I sit and watch them every night. And yes, I never have mosquitoes. Luna County, New Mexico 🧓

[@1stAmbientGrl]

I've always admired dragonflies, but I learned a lot about them in this video! 👏👏👏👏👏👏 Yay dragonflies!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m glad the video was informative 😊

[@connielocke9700]

Wonder if your neighbors have noticed fewer mosquitoes?

[@jackieinflorida3179]

Love your strategy! You clearly care about the environment. ❤If everyone would do what you did. We could get rid of pesticides!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My personal belief is that the most harmful thing we can do is buy our food from the grocery store. Sure, almost none of us can grow 100% of everything we eat, but any little bit of food we grow at home makes a difference. I try not to criticize how people grow food at their home. It doesn't need to be organic or perfect, because *anything* you grow at home is better than buying the bland, flavorless stuff from the grocery stores, so I try and support anyone who is willing to make the effort.

[@aprildegele1510]

I love dragonflies! I had the privilege of watching a dragonfly hunt when some kind of buglet that hatched out by the hundreds. Never have figured out what that hatching is. Dragonflies are fast and accurate. I watched one dragonfly eat several dozen of whatever hatched over the course of about 10 minutes. It was amazing to watch.

[@chezLynn]

Dragonflies 'scary?!' Fell asleep in the long grass next to a 'pot hole' lake in eastern Ontario, years ago, and woke up blanketed, head to foot, in dragonflies. A moment after I opened my eyes, they were already in flight, again, and I wasn't scared, but sad that they'd taken off before I could check them out. I took it as an extreme honor that they'd rested on me : )

[@nunyabisnass1141]

Yes, i absolutely adore dragonflies. They're pretty, have great character, and they can be quite friendly. In the summer our garden is full of them, and i still want to have more.

[@teenagardner3623]

I love this. This year, I have been incorporating flowers to encourage bees and hummingbirds. I did notice I've had more dragon flies, and I have enjoyed seeing really neat looking ones. I never thought of their big benefits. Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge.

[@mikechaffee4331]

I heard dragonflies will attack and eat hummingbirds. You need to pick a team.

[@teenagardner3623]

@@mikechaffee4331 I didn't know that. That's awful

[@mosheoin]

​@mikechaffee4331 are you sure you're not thinking of a praying mantis? There is an invasive species of praying mantis that attacks & kills hummingbirds.

[@Swansong343]

That's scary

[@EliteRock]

I can't not stop and watch whenever I see dragonflies. Here in north Somerset in a largish town, a few weeks back I was walking to the corner shop at sunset and what I thought was a bat flitted past my peripheral vision, but on looking up it was a huge, iridescent green dragonfly swooping around the street for its dinner. Turned a routine trudge to the shop into a treat.

[@lashawn711]

So interesting! We always have dragonflies in our backyard, but this year we had a lot and we also had less mosquitos. Now I know the dragonflies are why!

[@zubrismusic]

I pet the bumble bees when they work our pollinator plants 😂 I thought I was the only person who pets the insects 🍻 your channel is great and very relevant to me in Durham, NC.

[@susantang287]

Glad you mentioned the bumble bees. I’ve been visited every spring by two which seem to like cleaning out my front porch of all the spiders and insects, then they would move around to the back deck to the budding cherry tree. This year there were three of them. The newcomer was sent packing. It was fun watching them in action.

[@patkrueger7353]

I have a big circle of all different plants and trees. All wild and they fly back there alot. Plus i grow flowers all over my yard and in my vegetable garden. We use no sprays no weed killer no fertilizer. Dale is a really good looking dog. He is so cute! Thanks for this video. Plus we have a creek behind our property. We also have bats at night.

[@MsLisaLisa89]

I've noticed a ton of dragonflies in my garden this year. I figured they were beneficial but never looked it up. Not sure what's attracking them but im always happy to see them. 😊

[@donpertuit1243]

In Louisiana we call them mosquito hawks 😊

[@piabongiorno6315]

One of your best videos! I agree and have had many and as my garden grows, my dragon fly population keeps growing. The first part of my garden that I planted was my “pollinator” area. Thank you for sharing your information! I always appreciate you sharing, and scientific mind. Happy gardening!

[@joshuakosar417]

Great video and I love the approach of doing your best to balance the ecosystem for critters to thrive. As someone in an extremely arid climate(Arizona), I've worked very hard to bring dragonfly's into my garden I have to point out that the wildlife pond method you mentioned isn't as difficult as you think. My pond/aquaponics setup is small(around 150 gallons) and only 12-18 months old and has already provided a breeding ground for loads of dragonflies even with the fish! Your comments about creating a balanced ecosystem for dragonflies to thrive applies to the water feature as well. There are a couple tricks to keeping your dragonfly nymphs alive and thriving(and one major one to kick-starting your dragonfly colony). The most important thing is having lots of plants in your pond, particularly edge plants that form very dense root structures like papyrus and heavy oxygen producers like hornwort. These provide net like structures that the dragonfly nymphs can easily navigate in and out of, but fish large enough to eat the nymphs can't traverse. This also provides an area for the smaller pond bugs to reproduce and thrive, providing a steady food source for the nymphs. Speaking of food sources - keeping your fish and other pond critters fed just the right amount goes a long way towards keeping them from snacking on your baby dragonflies. As for starting off your colony, the absolute best thing you can do is to harvest some nymphs, soil and the plants they like to hang around from a local body of water(make sure to check your local laws before doing so!). This provides beneficial bacteria, bugs and additional food sources for the nymphs. That they are already accustomed to as well as collecting nymphs of various different ages to keep your colony producing and thriving sustainably for a long time.

[@michaelsmith9629]

Thanks for the tips!

[@shk2564]

Bats consume huge amounts of mosquitoes and I have a bat house that is full and they work all night for free! During the day they are busy dropping rich nitrogen fertilizer beneath their home! 😊

[@raneesmith3530]

I've had a lot of them this year here in Alabama I love seeing them didn't know how beneficial they are, thanks for the info

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They're truly one of your best friends in the garden, especially here in the South where mosquitoes are brutal.

[@StevePrimo]

Great video! Bat houses are great too, they're kind of like the "second shift" workers of bug control, they work all night eating bugs. I dug a pond in my backyard (small one, 1600 gallons) and I get dragonflies hunting it all the time. I'll even find their exoskeletons of their young when they emerge from the water and develop wings. Really neat insect.

[@carolenault9147]

Same story, small pond waterfall and many plants. They are so amazing!

[@kathrynhurst7210]

Dragonflies are so beautiful 😎🌸🌺

[@michelledenise5096]

I can vouch for bamboo stakes!! I started using them last year, I set them up in sets of three and call it the Dragonfly Hotel.

[@theeyesehaveit]

Interestingly - as someone else mentioned here - I too recognized a few dragonflies in my back yard this morning. Perching on the top ring of the metal cage around my bell pepper plant. What a coincidence…that your vlog about dragonflies shows up today. And to think of it, mosquitoes have not been bad this Summer. Thanks for this information. I am in central ALABAMA. Barbara.

[@judyashburn4572]

I bet you have your share of mosquitoes there!!

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

Another thing dragonflies like is plants that stand up above the rest of the landscape. The sunflowers that grow from my chicken feed always have a dragonfly or two sitting on the leaves, watching things

[@Nana2KCASBO]

I plant every color I can get my hands on for color in my yard/garden and they are everywhere here in my yard. I welcome them as much as I can and try my best to make them happy (and we live in the “desert” in the middle of Utah! We DO have Utah Lake not so far from us but I want them to love it here so my children will remember and my grandbabies will learn of them.

[@jimlawrence7758]

We live in a swampy area in Wisconsin and we got mosquitoes. I’ve been doing these things for years and IT WORKS! Our lawn is covered in dragonflies in the warmer months. I personally don’t use any insecticides because we have chickens and other animals. Dragonflies are a god send to us.

[@irenehaugen6143]

Ah yes, I love dragonflies.... however 🥲I live in Northern Arizona. I only rarely spot a dragonfly, out in the forest where there are natural ponds. We don't have mosquitoes very often, again, it is too dry. I love your videos, lots of good information!

[@ItalianAngel21175]

I love my Dragon Flies! They always stop while they are hunting to say hello to me. I talk to them for a few minutes and encourage them. I tell them thank you for their service and they seem to love and appreciate the gratitude. #protectourdragonflies #Ilovedragonflies

[@caravann26]

I live in phoenix by a canal system andlawn irrigation community so usually have tons of mosquitoes. Funny story to support your video facts .for the past 4 years i have started a small eco system gardening trees ,aloe and honeysuckle for hummingbirds lizards and this year to my surprise since i didnt cut the dead aloe flower stalks this year and didnt drain our 8foot stock tank ghetto pool i thought for sure we wre going to get tons of mosquitoes but to my suprise and delight i saw dragon flys always perched on the dead aloe stalks probably mimicking the bamboo and wires you have and when i finally cleard the algae mat that was formed on the stock tank to finally drain it i saw some strange visitors after a google search i found it was dragonfly nymph and found they are voracious eaters of mosquitoe larve!! So yes great way to keep dragon flys ...and keep the chemicals away!

[@suziperret468]

Wow, I love Dragon Flies too! Can’t wait to put out some perches and try to pet one! Once I had a million of them flying around my lawn and it was amazing to me. Thought it was some sort of migration. My yard and garden are organic. This spring my lawn has been left to grow the early wild flowers before beginning to mow it. Also , all of the flowers I plant are nectar feeders, and my Zinnias have been started early from seed and just about ready to pop into my various gardens around the yard. Of course, the Dragon Flies are after mosquitoes, and since I live in Southern Alabama, it’s a feast for them. Meanwhile, I’ve made a concoction of olive oil and fresh Rosemary to dab on myself and pets which prevents mosquitoes from attacking us!

[@oldman1111]

This is the first time I've actually paid close attention to your backyard. I had a 50x90 backyard prior to my current house in Georgia and I deeply regret not starting my gardening journey back then. Your yard looks so freaking cool.

[@katherineb6102]

I had a chain link fence at my previous home and hundreds of dragonflies would, in the evening, line up all along the top of the fence. Loved it. Great information. Thanks

[@HolosKaustos]

I don't know if this will help anyone else, but my mother and sister tried planting marigolds in their gardens to repel some pest insects from their fruits and veggies with a fair amount of success.

[@carrieeloff2220]

I saved a dragonfly's life once. It's wings were stuck on wet tar and I held a broom handle for it to grab and pull itself out!❤

[@cookiemonster6401]

I told my grand daughter that the dragon flies were fairies 🧚‍♀️. She is three and is sure they are fairies.

[@astar4all]

💜

[@guitarizard]

Believing nonsense and make believe are not the same.

[@fuckcensorship69]

Of course she does, she trusts you. Keep gaslighting and see how crazy of a human you can mold

[@dianac2596]

Fascinating information. I’ve never heard anything about dragonflies ability to help in the garden. I’d love to have more of them in my yard. Now I know how to help attract them. Thanks so much. Great video!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They're fantastic for your yard and garden. They do a lot of good.

[@Ds74-pmrq]

I'm totally at war with the mosquitos . They were so bad last year I could not attend to my flower beds and veggie garden, so I'm trying everything . Thank you

[@yvette968]

I have a brackish lake across the street from my house we canoe on. I’m here on the NJ coast. We have named one area Dragonfly Cove 😊. We anchor the canoe and just sit quietly as we’re swarmed with Dragonflies, it’s so magical. Magnificent little creatures. ❤

[@PrecisionClays]

The bamboo stakes is a great idea. Earlier this year my small back yard had 100+ Seaside Dragonlets which slaughtered the mosquitos. They reduced in numbers but are still there but the perches will be perfect! Thanks for the walk through of your back yard and garden. I have g-scale trains in the back yard (elevated though) and I'm going to put telephone poles along the line in several places to act as perches!

[@patriciatinkey2677]

Sounds like you have the Coolest backyard ever!

[@PrecisionClays]

Thanks @@patriciatinkey2677 After watching the video I decided to get some G scale telephone poles for the dragonlets to perch. They came in yesterday. Probably set some up tomorrow.

[@marciawarden5021]

I love the dragon flies! I do have the bamboo stakes and they’re always perching on them. Thank you for helping us learn more about these beautiful creatures!

[@ler5299]

Right after watching your video I went out on the porch to work on garden ideas. Recently I bought a gardenia tree staked in a pot. Sure enough there was a dragonfly hanging out on top of the stake. He sat there for a long time, then flew around, then came back to the stake! So I will be putting more out. Thanks for the tip!

[@bernadettedavid23]

The transformation from the dirt to your beautiful garden is amazing! Great job!

[@theheardhomestead]

I have so many this year! Now I know I was doing something right ❤

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's a sign of a healthy yard.

[@Gkrissy]

Thanks for the tips in the video. There is a pond in my neighborhood and the first year I lived here there was lots of mosquitoes but it has reduced over the last few years. I use those bamboo stakes for my tomatoes. I have seen a lot more dragonflies this year.

[@user-vm7be5kn3k]

I was working in the garden one hot day. I noticed a dragon fly making a swoop past me with what looked like a mission.. sweat dropping down my brow. A drip of swear traveled down my nose and started to fall.. that dragonfly came in and lined his trajectory with my sweat drop and caught it mid flight..this started my passion for these amazaing creatures

[@veronicadoggone5660]

Wasps are also a good insect. I know people flee when they see wasps, but I have seen them eating or carry off catepillars and other pest bugs. In the 3 yrs I've been growing this garden (central GA) i haven't been stung.

[@lpmoron6258]

They also carry off spiders!

[@themuckler8176]

​@@lpmoron6258Them eating spiders is not beneficial at all

[@nikkireigns]

This makes sense! Usually by my woods the mosquitoes are terrible. One evening I walked out there and hundreds of dragonflies were flying around and no mosquitoes! (They were in my butterfly sanctuary, which is about an acre)

[@judyashburn4572]

That’s awesome!! I bet your sanctuary is a popular spot too!

[@lizzieb6311]

I adore dragonflies! We have a lot here and damsel flies as well. As soon as I water my garden with a hose the Dragonflies come….i put it on a medium droplet spray and they come in for a drinks on the fly! They’re incredible like the most agile fighter plane and helicopter combined!

[@catgray1]

Dragonflies also eat termites. We live in a rural area, so we sometimes see termites swarm out of the ground, or dead tree stump. When they do, the dragonflies go crazy eating them. You'll see termite wings floating down to the ground. It's very interesting to watch. It's been really dry here, throughout the winter and spring, so I've added water features that I'm hoping will attract some dragonflies, as we don't have many right now.

[@katrynlord6516]

Interesting.... I live in Texas where it's been over 100° for 2 months and dry and I just saw a dragonfly in my yard this as well as other times. I do have that steel cable on my grapevine which looks pretty pitiful right now and I do use bamboo stakes in a few places. The one I saw this morning was landing on my really tall zinnia flowers. I also consistently water so maybe that's why they are here but I don't have near as many as what you're talking about. Thanks for the info. I will put out more bamboo.

[@penelopegrier5073]

As much as I love Texas, I’m so happy I didn’t live there this summer. We got close to 100 here but never actually hit it.

[@tigrlily]

You are my garden buddy. So grateful for your content and all the straightforward tips and tricks. Thank you

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! I appreciate it!

[@mariofilippi3539]

Thanks! Definitely getting some of those poles for my small pond.

[@sparda1979]

Dragonflies, Damselflies and Robber flies. They are beautiful creatures.

[@collinsddc1206]

This is such a great video, ty so much! I have several flying around and was wondering how to keep them here, I live around coast of Va. Your garden area is absolutely wonderful, and of course Dale!

[@Simplylisette]

I love dragonflies myself, they are so fun to watch when they hunt, and so fun to photograph as well. Love your speaking style and your passion for gardening and for the wee critters that share our world😊

[@gypsyrain369]

THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL .

[@yoface938]

What a great and detailed video, it really shows how much writing and editing you put into it.

[@rainbowvixen1429]

I’m in southeastern coastal NC. Thank you so much for this tip! These mosquitoes and gnats are so annoying. I would love to be able to sit outside at night walking around my garden or sitting at my outdoor table.

[@NicFre-zx1jj]

Dragonflies are fascinating creatures. When I hop on my zero turn mower to mow our half-acre pasture in the front, it doesn't take long before a swarm of dragonflies start following me around to pick off the insects that emerge from the pasture. It's pretty cool to sit on the front porch and watch them zoom back and forth looking for a meal. They also like to fly around over our pool in the backyard. We have string lights around the pool and that has turned out to be a good perch for them.

[@tonyhoward9268]

I live about an hour and a half north of Wilmington in Havelock NC and I learned a big lesson about dragonflies impact on mosquitoes about 15 years ago at football practice with my son. Every afternoon the mosquitoes would come out suddenly with a vengeance which is normal here. There were always a lot of dragonflies flying around and late one afternoon I noticed while being eaten alive by mosquitoes that the dragonflies were gone. I paid closer attention the next afternoon and as long as the dragonflies were out the mosquitoes never bothered us but as soon as the dragonflies disappeared the mosquitoes immediately showed up. I know all of the mosquitoes hadn’t been eaten but the mosquitoes somehow knew the dragonflies were out and laid low until they were gone. I watched this happen every afternoon until it finally got cool enough and the mosquitoes disappeared. I never knew how big of an impact dragonflies made on mosquitoes but they really do help a lot.

[@tripleseven8361]

Interesting and informative video…One point worth mentioning, is that with respect to ponds, etc. it’s the fish that are often in danger of the dragonfly larvae, and not the other way around…Dragonfly larvae are ravenous predators, and will latch on to small fish and start to consume them…

[@ofrecentvintage]

What a lovely idea for a gardening video. I saw one dragonfly in my garden a few weeks ago and it was beautiful.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@ofrecentvintage]

@@TheMillennialGardener Yes! Found it very helpful. Currently seeing what I can MacGyver into some makeshift perches to stash around my space!

[@BigDog-ro6ki]

We love them too! I teach my sons to take care of them and be kind to them. Our yard attracts hundreds and hundreds every summer. We love it!

[@imacexpress]

I really love your enthusiasm and energy. You are an honestly, real person. Also, Thanks Dale for the fun videos of you playing with toys

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Dale sends his regards!🐕

[@lynnethievin4827]

You have a beautiful garden, love the raised beds

[@DEADorALIVEkayaking]

Very cool and informative video! I love dragonflies, but my favorite insect to see in my orchard is the praying mantis. I did, however, catch a couple minutes of video the other day of a dragonfly eating a green soldier bug (stink bug), and the fewer of those around, the better! Stay Safe!

[@susanblackwell3457]

I have found praying mantis hunting on my hummingbird feeder.

[@DEADorALIVEkayaking]

@@susanblackwell3457 I've seen pictures before of mantis's eating hummingbirds they'd caught! Stay Safe!

[@captainjennifer]

Your yard is impressive. Thanks for sharing it in an educational way.

[@amyhoang9140]

Wow, what a bright idea. Dragonflies are so beautiful. I love having dragonflies around.

[@HillbillyHen]

I am lucky enough to have dragon fly's - just never knew how helpful they were - we did have a bad issue with stink bugs and the lantern flies - i got the bright idea to raise praying mantis collected eggs from around my property and bought some off the internet - hatched them out and kept them until their 2nd shed then it was warm enough to release - i had about a total of 2500 i released on my property and around my garden - i was the only one in my area that had zero lantern flys at my property and only seen one or two stink bugs that season - they did a fantastic job - i know many dont like the praying mantis but im telling you had it not been for them i wouldnt have had my garden - both my neighbors completely lost theirs - i had a full crop - i did raise one till she was full size and then let her lose in my garden so she could live out her time free (they only live a year) and when i would work in my garden she would come get on me and sit with me while i worked - she for a bug was super sweet and boy do they have an apatite ! just some food for thought for anyone that like them they are super helpful and did i mention i used zero pesticides - didnt need any my little army got the job done

[@erichkemper1967]

Yea sir!!! North eastern SC. Dragonfly’s are a God send!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They're incredible! Easily my favorite insect.

[@Ravenelvenlady]

Absolutely awesome video! I've long loved dragonflies, and it is great to learn how to attract and make them useful to the garden. Thanks so much!