Dragonfly attack

[Billybee]

Any ideas on how to stop these things?

They are hanging outside the beebox looking to kill.

Not just one or 2 either.

I saw buches in front of the house when I got home and ran right around back to see the trouble

Do they eat bees or looking for something else?

[Rebel Rose Apiary]

My old beekeeper mentor told me long ago to watch for the dragonflies and to watch for bluejays! Both eat bees! He said that the only way to prevent bee loss was to move the bee yard. Back then, there were quite a few dragonflies, but since we never moved the beeyard, I guess that the losses were not bad enough to move the hives.

I have seen a bumper crop of dragonflies in the beeyard this year also. There was a very wet spring, wet summer and it is raining now....which gives the dragonflies a perfect weather for breeding!

Another thing that I noticed about the dragonflies this year, is that they are huge! As to what to do to keep them out of the apiary.....no idea!

Brenda

[NasalSponge]

"Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, and butterflies."

[tlynn]

We watch dragonflies pick off our bees from time to time.  I can't imagine they could possibly make a dent in the population.  Plus, yes, they do kill a lot of pests.