This year has been one of the worst for the amount of mosquitoes that I can remember. These annoying insects land on us to suck our blood, then their saliva from their bite creates an allergic reaction in all of us that causes itching then swelling.

But a few of weeks ago, natural help arrived. But the best hatched insect in the Northwoods is now helping to reduce the number of the blood sucking pest and that help is the (GREEN DARNER) dragonfly.

I believe dragonflies are probably one of the most beneficial insects in the state of Wisconsin, because they do not bite, sting, and will eat 1/3 of their body weight each day, with mosquitoes being the top on the menu.

Dragonflies are around water because they spend 95% of their life under water. So, if you fish or spend time on the water, I’m willing to bet in late May/early June most of you have seen a Dragonfly sitting on your boat, the tip of your fishing rod or bobber on top of the water.

Most females will fly over the water and drop their eggs (up to 1500 at one time), while others can deposit them on emergent aquatic vegetation. Either way the eggs find their way to the lakes floor, and this is where they stay until the eggs develop into nymphs. In the beginning of their Larval/Nymph stage, these future Dragonflies can and will be eaten by fish, but as they grow the tables turn and the larger Nymphs will become the predator, dining on aquatic insects, small fry and tadpoles.

During their time under water, the dragonfly nymphs will molt (SHED THEIR SKIN) as they grow and after their last aquatic molt, some will climb onto emergent vegetation and others will crawl out of the water and find a dry area, where the final stage occurs.

This is when they start breathing air, and push their head, legs and wings out of the larval skin. Now being a dragonfly, their soft body and wings need to dry and harden before they can take to the air and can live up to 6 months if their only predator (BIRDS) don’t eat them.

An old wives’ tale says, if a dragonfly lands on you, it is considered very good luck. Now, I don’t know how true that is, because I have had dragonflies land on me, but I can’t remember if I ever caught a big fish or a good number of fish that day or not.