The second of two posts about everyone's favorite insect. Here's the first.
Flipping our calendars to the month of June brings thoughts of summertime, vacation, fun in the sun – and mosquitoes. Mankind has been battling this flying menace for thousands of years. We now have potions and lotions and sprays and devices designed by modern science to keep mosquitoes away. But what about Mother Nature’s own weapons? Dragonflies, bats, and purple martins all have a reputation for being effective against mosquitoes. Are they worth a try?
Dragonflies: YES
Dragonflies and their cousins, damselflies, have existed for more than 300 million years. This is longer than the dinosaurs lasted, and much longer than human beings have been around. Beautiful and beautifully engineered, dragonflies are capable of incredible flying maneuvers at impressive speeds. Their legs, wings, and jaws have interesting features custom-made for catching flying insects for dinner. Best of all, their favorite food is mosquitoes. Even at the larval stage of development, dragonflies feed on mosquito larva. In fact, some of the larger species are known as ‘mosquito hawks’ for this very reason. One estimate is that a single dragonfly is able to consume 600 mosquitoes per day. Dragonflies do not sting, bite, or otherwise intentionally harm humans. They appear to be most effective in controlling mosquitoes during the larval stage. However they are very enjoyable to watch in the adult stage, as they come in an almost endless supply of bright colors and are very entertaining in flight. Unlike many other insects, dragonflies do not feed on, nor are they attracted to, flowers or plants. Because they spend the majority of their life span as larvae, they require a clean and permanent source of water nearby to make them feel welcome in your yard. If you live within a quarter mile of a body of water, this is sufficient. If not, you may create an artificial source of water for them.
Bats: YES
There are many types of bats that feed on insects in North America. Bats are not likely to harm humans. They eat their share of mosquitoes as they hunt in the early evening hours. It is estimated that an average bat can consume 500-1000 mosquitoes each night. Bats have been used in metropolitan areas as a natural and safe way to control mosquitoes, which sometimes carry diseases harmful to man. If bats are likely to live in your area, you can attract them by installing a bat house in your yard.
Purple Martins: NO
The purple martin, a bird and member of the swallow family, has a reputation for eating lots of mosquitoes. While it is true that the martin and other swallows do eat a lot of insects by swooping through the air with their mouths open, mosquitoes actually make up very little of the purple martin’s diet. Martins tend to feed during the daytime and at fairly high levels above the ground. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, are more plentiful later in the day and into the evening, and are found close to ground level. Martins are fun to watch and many people enjoy attracting them to their homes by building birdhouses especially designed for them. But they are not an effective way to combat mosquitoes.
Even the most effective of nature’s mosquito eaters cannot solve the problem entirely. A creature that can eat thousands of mosquitoes sounds very efficient, until you realize that the mosquito population is easily numbered in the millions. In addition, dragonflies and bats will probably eat other insects as well, or may wander away from your yard to pursue their dinner. In the case of dragonflies, they are dinner for someone else (birds, frogs, spiders) - their presence in your garden is not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, if you are interest in a more natural way of reducing your mosquito population, consider giving Mother Nature’s repellents a try.
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