Dragonflies Are The Best Defense Against Mosquitos. Here’s What You Can Plant to Attract Them.
In Texas, the Mosquito fight is real. There are times that I have walked out of my door and have been straight up beaten down by a gang of monster Mosquitoes. No joke.
These nasty little critters spread diseases. Diseases like the West Nile virus, Zika virus, Rift Valley Fever, Jamestown Canyon Virus, Dengue, Malaria, Snowshoe Hare Virus, Yellow Fever, La Crosse Encephalitis, and the Chikungunya virus.
All of them are nasty illnesses. I do my best to protect myself, but it really is hard to avoid them.
While most of these are rare in the US, there are a few that are a real problem. West Nile Virus is one of the main ones we have to deal with here in the US.
Another thing that is a serious problem caused by Mosquitoes is Heartworms in our dogs. There are medications you can give them monthly to help prevent this.
Did you know that Dragonflies eat hundreds of Mosquitoes a day? Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they are workhorses!
Think of Dragonflies as superheroes and the Mosquitoes as the villains. You want the Superheroes to hang out and kill the villains! Even Dragonfly larvae eat Mosquitoes! Those are baby superheroes!
To attract Dragonflies to hang out in your yard, you need to plant some things they like.
If you have a pond in your yard you should plant some Dwarf Sagittaria. It kind of looks like grass, but it’s an aquatic plant that attracts Dragonflies.
You WANT Dragonflies producing their larvae in your pond to eat up the Mosquitoes that are also attracted to your pond.
The Black Eyed Susan is a flower that Dragonflies love. It is also super easy to grow, pretty much anywhere. I am sure you have noticed them growing alongside roads.
Yarrow White Wildflower is a medicinal wildflower. Dragonflies love it!
Meadow Sage is another medicinal wildflower that attracts Dragonflies. This one is also super easy to grow!
There are also plants, flowers, and herbs that Mosquitoes hate! So make sure you plant some of those as well.
One of my favorites is Lemon Balm! It also has a ton of other uses besides repelling Mosquitoes!
