How to Attract Dragonflies

Co-authored by Shweta Sharma

Last Updated: January 10, 2023 Approved

Dragonflies are large insects that are interesting, attractive, and fun to watch. They're great at controlling mosquitos, which makes them a useful backyard helper. Dragonflies are drawn to areas with water, so the best way to attract dragonflies to your yard is to add a source of water.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Choosing a Water Source

1
Place a pond in your yard. Ponds are beautiful additions to your backyard, and they attract dragonflies! Dragonflies are attracted to water because they breed in water. Their young hide among water plants. If you want dragonflies in your yard, put a water source somewhere in your yard. Create a pond at least 2 feet (0.6 m) deep. However, a pool of just about any size will appeal to dragonflies.^{[1]
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- The pond should have a depth of at least 2 feet (.60 m) to allow the dragonfly nymphs to take cover from predators such as raccoons.
- The water source needs shallow, low edges. The shallow sloping sides allow for plants to grow.
2
Find the right water source. You can choose creative ways to put water sources into your yard. If you are into landscaping, you can start a big, fun project where you place a premolded pond in your yard, or dig and build one yourself.^{[2]
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- You can also set up a plastic wading pool, which dragonflies will breed in. Another idea is a wood half barrel.
- You can find premolded ponds at home improvement stores, and plastic wading pools at most toy stores or supercenters. You can find both online.
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3
Determine if you live near a source of dragonflies. You will have better luck attracting dragonflies if you live near a water source with dragonflies. Some dragonflies will fly miles away from the water source, but the closer you are to a stream, lake, or other source of water, the better your chances are that you will attract them.^{[3]
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- Most people who do not live in extremely arid areas should be reasonably close to a water source with dragonflies.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adding the Right Elements

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Add water plants to your pond. You can’t just have a pond and attract dragonflies. You need water plants in the pond to help attract them. Dragonflies love tall plants! The dragonflies will lay their eggs in the plants, and the larvae will live in them until they are grown. Then, they will use the tall plants to perch on.^{[4]
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- Stock the pond with both submerged and floating plants. They will use the underwater plants when they are larvae, and perch on the tall plants when they are adults.
- Try getting eelgrass, fanwort, hornwort, anacharis, wild celery, corkscrew rush, blue flag iris, parrot’s feather, pondweed, water lilies, and lotus flowers.
- You can find water plants at garden centers and online.
2
Surround the pond with shrubs. Place shrubs around the edge of the pond to give the dragonflies more places to land. This also makes your pond even more beautiful and appealing. The dragonflies will have more places to perch and live. You can plant border plants and shrubs.
- For example, you can try lobelia, seedbox, or button bush.
- You can also let the natural grass and brush around the pond grow to give the dragonflies more vegetation.
3
Spread rocks around your pond. Rocks in and around your pond will make it even more beautiful. Dragonflies also love to perch on warm rocks, especially flat rocks. Place rocks in your pond and around the edges to give the dragonflies plenty of places to land.
- You can try a mixture of light and dark rocks. The dragonflies may be attracted to one over the other.
4
Make sure the pond gets plenty of sun. Dragonflies like sunshine, so they will be more attracted to a pond that is out in the open with full sunshine in the middle of the day than one covered by the shade of tree branches.^{[5]
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Place sticks in the middle of your pond. While you are waiting for your plants to grow tall enough for dragonflies to perch on, place sticks in your pond. This gives the dragonflies somewhere to land.^{[6]
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- You can try sticks that you get from nearby trees or bamboo stakes for plants and vegetables.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Addressing Other Considerations

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Avoid placing fish in your pond. You may want to put fish in your pond so you can have fish and dragonflies. This is not a good idea. Fish eat dragonfly larvae, so the dragonflies will not be attracted to the pond and start breeding there.^{[7]
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2
Add a fountain to your garden. If you don’t want to add a pond, you can just add a fountain instead. These are much more low maintenance. You can buy pond pumps at garden or home improvement stores, and place them in a tub or trough.^{[8]
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- Often, you need additional filter boxes for your fountain when it is used outside.
3
Plant dragonfly attracting flowers in around your home. Certain flowers will help attract dragonflies to your home. You can plant them around the water source, in your flower bed, or around your home to tempt the dragonflies to visit.^{[9]
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- Plant black-eyed Susans, blanket flower, cardinal flower, goldenrod, bee balm, catmint, coneflower, golden Alexander, Phlox, Russian sage, Salvia, or yarrow.

Community Q&A

Question

Why do dragonflies hover over my lawn during the daylight hours?

Community Answer

They are chasing bugs, most likely mosquitos.
Question

How does a dragonfly interact with the horsetail plant?

Community Answer

Dragonflies love water horsetail! They will be attracted to it and perch on top of it.
Question

What are invasive plants?

Community Answer

They're plants that are non-native, able to propagate and abrasively compete with native plants for limited resources.

Warnings

Beware of invasive plants, and do not plant them in the pond.

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Do not mow around a dragonfly pond.

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Do not spray herbicides or pesticides around a dragonfly habitat. Dragonflies will not use polluted water, and you may inadvertently kill dragonfly nymphs.

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Avoid pre-fabricated pool liners that do not have sloping sides.

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