(WKYT) – Mosquito populations are surging in the Bluegrass after weeks of heavy rain, but the wet conditions could also mean more dragonflies in area backyards.
People may be noticing more dragonflies in their area after weeks of rain.
Jonathan Larson, an extension entomologist at the University of Kentucky, said dragonflies are effective predators.
“Dragonflies are some of the most amazing insect predators. They have almost 360° vision and their head is almost entirely eyeballs. They take it off after mosquitoes and other things they want to catch. They grab it midair and then they gobble it all down. They have predatory two jaws and they’re going to be just mowing through these things trying to get as much energy as they can,” Larson said.
Dragonflies and mosquitoes both reproduce by laying eggs in water and go through an aquatic stage, but usually only mosquitoes surge in population after heavy rain. Dragonflies are becoming more visible as they expand their territory.
“So, they can fly for miles from where they’re born. They can move to new spots to try and find new habitats to either guard if they are male or is better than where they came from,” Larson said.
With the rainy summer the Commonwealth has seen, dragonflies are hunting the growing mosquito population and expanding their range. That means more dragonflies may be visible in the long run.
“I think absolutely you could be noticing more dragonflies here in Kentucky the wetter that it has been this year could be providing them more habitats to find and discover it could’ve provided them more areas to defend and invite females into so there’s absolutely a chance of the dragonflies are more populous and more obvious here in 2026,” Larson said.