Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Choosing a water source
• Method 2 of 3: Add the correct elements
• Method 3 of 3: Other considerations
• Warnings

Dragonflies are large insects that are interesting, attractive, and fun to watch. They're great for keeping the mosquito population in check, making them great to have in your backyard. Dragonflies are attracted to areas with water, so the best way to attract dragonflies is to add a water source.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Choosing a water source

1. Create a pond in your yard. A pond is a nice addition to your garden and attractive to dragonflies! Dragonflies are attracted to water because they reproduce in water. Their young are hiding among the water plants. If you want dragonflies in your yard, place a water source somewhere in your gelding. The best is a pond that is at least 6 feet deep, but dragonflies are actually attracted to any size pond.
   • The pond should be at least 0.60 m deep to allow dragonfly nymphs to hide from predators.
   • The water source should have shallow, low edges. These shallow, sloping edges allow plants to grow.
2. Find the right water source. You can think of creative ways to place a water source in your garden. If you like landscaping, you can start a fun, big project, where you put a preformed pond in your yard or build your own.
   • You can also set up a plastic wading pool, which dragonflies will wide in. Another idea is a wood half barrel.
   • You can buy a preformed pond from a DIY store. Plastic paddling pools are available at most toy stores. You can also find both online.
3. Determine if you live near a source of dragonflies. You are more likely to attract dragonflies if you live near a dragonfly water source. Some dragonflies will fly miles away from the water source, but the closer you live to a stream, lake, or other water source, the better the chances you will attract them.
   • Most people who do not live in very dry areas should live fairly close to a water source with dragonflies.

Method 2 of 3: Add the correct elements

1. Add aquatic plants to your pond. You cannot just have a pond and thus attract dragonflies. You will need aquatic plants to help attract the dragonflies. Dragonflies love tall plants! They lay their eggs in the plants and the larvae will live in the plants until they reach maturity. Then they will use the tall plants to sit on.
   • Place both underwater plants and floating plants in the pond. The underwater plants will be used in the larval stage and when they are adults the dragonflies will be on the tall plants.
   • Try to get seagrass, cabomba caroliniana, silverskin, waterweed, swamp screen, corkscrew storm, blue flag iris, parrot feather, water lilies and lotus flowers.
   • You can buy aquatic plants on the Internet and at garden centers.
2. Surround the pond with shrubs. Place shrubs along the edge of the pond to give the dragonflies more places to land. This also makes your pond more beautiful and attractive. The dragonflies will have more places to live and sit. You can plant border plants and shrubs.
   • For example, you can try lobelia, rattle and cephalanthus.
   • You can also grow natural grasses and shrubs around the pond to provide the dragonflies with more vegetation.
3. Place stones around your pond. Stones in and around the pond make it even more beautiful. Dragonflies also like to sit on warm stones, especially flat stones. Place rocks in your pond and around the edges to give the dragonflies plenty of room to land.
   • You can try a mixture of light and dark stones. The dragonflies may be more attracted to one than the other.
4. Make sure the pond gets enough sunlight. Dragonflies like the sun, so they are more attracted to a pond that has full sun during the day than a pond that is covered by the shade of a tree.
5. Place sticks in the center of your pond. While you wait for your plants to grow big enough for the dragonflies to sit on, you can place sticks in the pond. This gives the dragonflies a place to land.
   • You can try using branches from nearby trees, as well as bamboo stakes for plants and vegetables.

Method 3 of 3: Other considerations

1. Do not put fish in your pond. You might like to have both fish and dragonflies in your pond. That is not a good idea. Fish eat the dragonfly larvae, so the dragonflies will not be attracted to the pond and will not reproduce there.
2. Add a fountain to your garden. If you don't want to put a pond, you can put a fountain instead. These require much less maintenance. You can buy a pond pump at a DIY store or garden center and put it in a tub or bucket.
   • Additional filter boxes are often required for a fountain when used outdoors.
3. Plant dragonfly-attracting flowers around your home. Certain flowers help attract dragonflies. You can plant them around the water source, in your flower bed or around your house to encourage dragonflies to visit.
   • Plant shaggy Rudbeckia, Cockade Flower, Cardinal Lobelia, Goldenrod, Bergamot, Catnip, Coneflower, Zizia aurea, Flame Flower, Russian Sage, Salvia, and Thyme Leaf.

Warnings

• Watch out for invasive plants and don't plant them in the pond.
• Do not mow around the dragonfly pond.
• Do not spray herbicides or pesticides around the dragonfly habitat. Dragonflies will not use polluted water. In addition, you can unintentionally kill the dragonfly nymphs.
• Avoid ready-made pond tarps that do not have sloping walls.