Have a couple of small, shallow ponds at my camp in the boonies. Two dried up the last two years, killing off most of the dragonfly population. (Takes 'em two years underwater to mature.) We no longer have Combat Air Patrol, fine at our house though. So bad out there that bug spray doesn’t work even if you bathe in it. Never had issues before. Because I had dragonflies. I’m sure the 10" of snow, in Florida upset things just a tad. Fucking global warming.

Anyway, searched a bit and everyone wants to sell me a bug zapper. A) I don’t have power unless I run a genny. B) Those things are indiscriminate and we humans have nuked the insect population as is.

There has to be some way to attract them into a trap. I know they target mammalian CO2 exhalations, and to a lesser extent, warmth. Seems like there should be an easy way to suck the mindless beasts into a black hole. ?

  • rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    The nearest body of water is about a mile away from me, I attract dragonflies with tall stem grasses and way too many flies.

    Maybe you can encourage them with some tall grass? I don’t remember what kind I scattered, whatever the University of Colorado said to plant here in Denver years ago

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 days ago

      Got a few “ponds” at the house, between 10g and 150g. Brings all the boys to the yard! But the dried up ponds at camp set me back a year or three. Since they take 2 years to mature, they won’t be back this year or probably the next.

      • rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        Yes but they also need 2ft high plants to hunt from. If you cut all your tall grass they will have to hunt elsewhere