One question we hear often is “will mosquitos be a problem with my new pond?” — and we’re here to put your mind at ease.
Mosquitos are drawn to stagnant or slow-moving water. A well-designed pond is built with circulation as a priority, with the total pond volume turned over at regular intervals. That much water movement isn’t ideal for mosquitos, so it’s highly unlikely they’ll want to make your new pond their home or nursery.
Most types of pond fish will also eat larvae and mosquitos if they venture in. And another insect that views mosquitos as a tasty snack is the dragonfly. Not only are dragonflies interesting and beautiful to watch, they serve an important function in your backyard ecosystem, eating up to hundreds of mosquitos a day.
Depending on where you live, you may attract dragonflies just by installing an ecosystem pond with water lilies and marginal plants. Here’s a list of five plants that can draw in even more.
The Field List
Five Plants Every Pond Should Have
Water Lily
Nymphaea
The jewel of the water garden. Water lilies provide the perfect space for dragonflies to lay eggs and shelter the small nymphs. Every pond should have at least one.
Arrowhead
Sagittaria latifolia
Heart-shaped leaves and beautiful white flowers. Plant it in shallow, damp water to give dragonflies a chance to lay eggs among the foliage.
Cattails
Typha latifolia
One of the most common pond plants around. Dragonflies like to lay eggs in the cattails, giving their young a place to climb the stems and rest.
Pickerel Rush
Pontederia cordata
Purple-blue flowers on long, glossy green stalks. Dragonflies love resting on this showy plant between flights.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A water-loving bloom for marsh-like conditions near the bank. Commonly attracts butterflies, dragonflies, and other pollinators.