AboutOrchids

Well, not dragons really, but dragonflies. This one landed on a branch and stayed long enough to pose for Dave’s camera. With a little research, we identified it as a Blue-eyed Darner Dragonfly (scientific name Aeshna multicolor,) native to North America west of the Mississippi River. So what does this beautiful blue creature have to do with orchids? Dragonflies are beneficial insects, eating small pests, including mosquitoes. We really try to avoid pesticides in the garden, which kill beneficial insects just as efficiently as the nasty ones. So while we may have a few aphids, beneficials like this dragonfly do a far superior job keeping them under control than any toxic chemical. Plus we can enjoy Mother Nature right in the middle of a busy urban area.

Explore posts in the same categories: General Gardening, Photos, Problems

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 13th, 2008 at 7:22 pm and is filed under General Gardening, Photos, Problems.

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