Lakefront Property Owners Can Protect Dragonflies As They Reduce Mosquito Populations
Lakefront property owners who protect and preserve near-shore aquatic plant communities reduce mosquito populations while providing ideal habitats for Michigan dragonflies.
Lakefront property owners will soon be enjoying quiet summer days on the lake. But what just went zooming by? Perhaps it was a winged predator on the prowl – a dragonfly. Along with insectivorous birds and bats, dragonflies of varying shapes, colors and sizes patrol the shoreline. These masters of the aquatic insect world voraciously prey upon mosquitoes and other insects. To help dragonflies reduce the population of pesky mosquitos, it helps to understand what they need to be successful. Dragonflies spend their lifecycles in and near aquatic environments, and are most abundant in standing waters such as lakes, ponds and wetlands. The young larval dragonfly spends its life in shallow water and, like the adult, preys on smaller organisms…
