There’s a lot to love about summer, but mosquitoes are one seasonal nuisance most people could do without. You can try to combat pesky mosquitoes with bug zappers and sprays, but neither of those options is very pleasant when you’re trying to enjoy an alfresco meal. Fortunately, there’s an all-natural solution that actually adds to the atmosphere of your backyard: dragonflies!
That’s right: dragonflies may look pretty, but they have a killer instinct when it comes to mosquitoes. In fact, they can gobble up about 100 of the bloodsuckers per day! Now you just have to figure out how to get more mosquito-loving dragonflies to report for summer duty in your yard.
We can help with that! Here are four ways you can attract dragonflies to your backyard, which should help take care of your mosquito problem.
MORE: Grow these plants for a mosquito-repellent home
Add Water
Dragonflies are aquatic insects, so having a pond or other water source in your yard will make them feel right at home. The water should be about 2 feet deep, which is deep enough for dragonflies but too deep for mosquito larvae to survive.
A bubbler or fountain will also further deter mosquitoes. Adding some floating vegetation, such as water hyacinths or water lettuce, will make your backyard an even more attractive hangout spot for dragonflies.
Plant Meadow Sage
Meadow sage, otherwise known as blue hill, is gorgeous and easy to maintain. The bonus is that dragonflies love it, and will flock to the tall purple stems, where they can intercept the mosquitoes before they bite you!
Plant Black-Eyed Susans
Black-eyed Susans are another flower that attracts dragonflies (and butterflies!). This plant grows best with full sun and regular watering and grows easily in most types of soil.
Let The Sunlight In
Dragonflies like the sun, so make sure your pond and plants are in an area that gets plenty of sunlight. Dragonflies need warmth for energy and to maximize their metabolism, so if it’s too cloudy or cool, they tend to hide out.
Skip The Fish
While it may seem like a fun idea to stock your pond up with a lot of colorful fish, if you hope to attract dragonflies, you should keep fish out of the pond, because fish prey on dragonflies. Even if they don’t manage to snap up their prey, fish can put so much stress on dragonflies that just having them in their habitat can kill your mosquito-eating pals.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
