How Building Your Pond Right Can Decrease Mosquito Populations

Written by – Scott Carroll

You might think that adding a pond to your garden would create the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos. Well, you might be right if you miss certain key elements when designing your pond. If your pond is infested with skeeters, adding a few pieces of wood around the edge of your pond could be the solution to your mosquito problem. Keep reading to find out how!

Mosquitos love to breed in ponds and other bodies of water, but pond owners will tell you that their fish eat the mosquito larvae before they can infest the whole garden. However, while having fish can help with bug populations, mosquitoes have an even deadlier enemy: the dragonfly!

Ontario home to many species of dragonflies — Ontario is home to over 172 species of dragonflies.

Giant Prehistoric Dragonflies

300 million years ago, Meganeura, a giant, ancient ancestor of today’s dragonflies ruled the late carboniferous skies. Meganeura’s wingspan could reach over 2 feet – a horrifying sight for sure! Their favorite prey – mosquitoes would only show up in the fossil record 200 million years later.

How to Attract More Dragonflies to Your Pond

Dragonflies also love to breed in ponds. Specifically, they lay their eggs in half-submerged pieces of wood near the edge of the pond. So if your pond is constantly surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes you may just need to add a few dead branches and give the dragonflies some time to find it. Dragonflies are beautiful creatures to have in your garden and they do wonders for bug control, but their bug-hunting tendencies begin long before they reach the skies.

Dragonflies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Dragonfly Nymphs

Dragonfly larvae – otherwise known as Nymphs – spend most of their lives underwater where they feast on other larvae and even young tadpoles and fish. After many years of feeding on mosquito larvae, the nymphs leave the pond and take to the skies to feast on the mosquitoes that made it out of the pond alive.

Nymphs are less colorful than their older relatives.

To learn more about the benefits of pond building and to see us build a small wildlife pond click here: Wildlife Pond Building – Carroll Property Services

To book a phone call with me and discuss your pond or water feature project click here: Calendly – Scott Carroll

If you’re into creepy crawlies like I am you should also check out this video from National Geographic where we see a nymph hunting tadpoles and turning into a dragonfly:

From Nymph to Wings: The Dragonfly Life Cycle l Asia’s Weirdest l National Geographic Wild UK

Thanks for reading!

Scott Carroll

Carroll Property Services

289-943-5477