It's the Year of the Dragon(fly)!

#funfactfriday It's Lunar New Year and we're entering the Year of the Dragon!

Did you know that dragon(flies...) are some of the most efficient and deadly hunters on the planet? They have a 95% capture rate, which is astonishingly high considering that most big cats like cougars and lions only capture their prey about 25-50% of the time! This success comes mostly from their impressive flying abilities. Dragonflies have two sets of wings which, unlike most other insects, can beat out of sync with each other and give the dragonfly the ability to stop midair, fly backwards, make sharp turns, and hover. They also have massive compound eyes which allow them to see in many directions all at once.

Dragonflies are a critically important predatory insect. Their voracious appetites make them useful in agricultural settings as they can provide great biological pest control. They are, however, highly sensitive to water quality and habitat disturbance so if you want a dragonfly's services on your property or farm, its important to leave healthy habitat areas and keep your water sparkling clean!

Interested in learning more? Come and ask Stewardship Biologist Lia McKinnon all your questions at the Southern Interior Horticulture Trade Fair next weekend, Feb 16-17! More information and tickets can be found here: https://bit.ly/3uw3q5V  

For more general information on sustainable farming, check out OSS's brand new website just for farmers: www.farmstewards.ca

Twelve-spotted Skimmer photo courtesy of Ben Keen