Aerial Acrobats

Dragonflies and your Water Garden

Watching dragonflies by your pond can be more entertaining than bird watching. These aerial acrobats can fly backwards, hover, change direction or halt to a complete stop in mid air.

Water Gardens Help

Because dragonflies are interminable survivors, they are able to find a new body of water when current sources dry up or become polluted. Backyard ponds can be built as habitats to attract dragonflies and provide them with much needed water.

To do so, place the pond in a protected area where it will receive midday sun -- less than 30 percent of the pond should be shaded. Dragonflies prefer streams and ponds that vary in depth -- shallow at the edges and at least 2 feet deep in the center. This allows for a variety of plant species that provide places for dragonfly nymphs to hide from fish, hunt for food, and rest.

Be sure to include marginal, emergent, and submerged aquatic vegetation. Emergent vegetation provides the vertical surface needed for the nymph to crawl out of the pond into adulthood. Upright aquatic plants also provide landing spots for adult dragonflies.

Attracting Dragonflies

Increase the chances of attracting dragonflies to your pond by placing flat, light-colored rocks near the pond's edge for basking in the sun. Plenty of plantings nearby attract small insects for dragonflies to eat, but be careful not to use electronic bug zappers as they can destroy dragonflies and aren't very effective in zapping mosquitoes. Besides, the dragonflies will feed on mosquitoes and keep them to a minimum, anyway.

Maintain your pond to keep dragonflies in residence by periodically removing excess growth of floating plants and pruning dying plant material. Clean decaying plant material on the bottom of the pond in the springtime, but be careful not to over-clean as this can cause more harm than good. By keeping your pond in good condition, dragonflies will remain nearby, providing hours of aerial acrobatic enjoyment.

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Page last modified: May 07, 2008