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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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