That's been fixed and here's the short scoop on that answer from one of our favorite entomologists, Dr. Maybe you'd get a link to the Chinese Lantern Festival. So if you searched 'dragonfly' at the Gardens Alive archives…. But it didn't have the word 'dragonfly' in the title just their common name of 'mosquito hawk'. Luckily, new dragonflies can be attracted-even to a pond that small.Īnd I have to apologize here, as our Gardens Alive archives contain a previous Question of the Week that discusses exactly how to attract dragonflies. Dragonflies are voracious predators of mosquitoes, eating twice their weight in the nasty blood-suckers every day and those mosquitoes are probably loaded with pesticides that are going to build up to high levels in the dragonflies' bodies. ![]() Hey, I want a little baby snapping turtle!Īnyway-the pesticide spraying is a good theory. But my little baby snapping turtle loves it, and we hope that our little pond is big enough to get the dragonflies back.Ī. And our pond is small-the size of a queen-sized bed. Ethan continues: My grandparents say that the dragonflies don't come around anymore because of all the chemicals farmers spray on their crops, which we're surrounded by. Lemon Eucalyptus and Picardan are two active ingredients that have been shown to be as effective as DEET, which is toxic, a solvent, and doesn't seem to be working for him anyway. And let's add one of the EPA-approved mosquito repellants that don't contain DEET to protect his face and neck. Permethrin treated white long sleeve shirts. Permethrin-treated clothing (which is also available professionally pre-treated from a company called Insect Shield) would keep both of those biters-and ticks-off of this poor kid's bit-up legs.īut what if it works for his legs and then his arms start getting bit up? Yes-but while DEET does not work against ticks, Permethrin-treated clothing does repel mosquitoes- and chiggers, which might actually be the major itch-inducer at play here, because Ethan only says that it's his legs that are getting bitten up.Ĭhiggers and fleas are the classic low-level biters, working from the ankles up to around the knees for fleas and all the way up to the (gulp!) waist for chiggers. The spray will contain one-tenth of one percent permethrin-a synthetic version of a natural insecticide obtained from the flowers of a specific type of chrysanthemum.Īh-but that's a TICK repellant isn't DEET the main chemical repellant for mosquitoes? I further suggest that Ethan's grandfolks treat a couple pair of long white pants with a spray-on tick repellant (available at stores that sell hunting and camping supplies). Yes, I realize that long white pants are the totally incorrect uniform for a thirteen-year-old country boy in the summer, but it would prevent those leg bites while we ramp up with other measures. Let's stop here (with the second part of Ethan's email to come) and offer some instant help, although Ethan probably isn't going to like it. ![]() ![]() Is there any kind of smell or food we could use to attract them? We need them badly I just counted thirty bites on my legs! Bug spray has been no help, so our only hope is dragonflies…Ī. We're way out in the country, and you'd think we'd have plenty, but we have not seen any. We have a pond, but absolutely no dragonflies. I'm a 13-year-old boy and live with my grandparents on seven acres of land.
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