This summer we have tons of them...In past years I might see one or two a summer but now there are several flying around everyday...anyone have a bunch of them? Know what might make them hang out? Do they bite?

If by 'bite' you mean 'sting' no they don't. If by 'bite' you mean 'cut with thie mouth parts' then, yes, they certainly bite their prey !They patrol , often taking a beat, up and down the same line, and catch their prey on the wing. (In this part of England they are known as 'Devil's darning needles' because they go to and fro, following the exact same path, in the manner of a needle of someone darning cloth )Never heard of an adult one biting a human though .As larvae they live underwater and are fierce predators. There have been cases of people getting bitten on handling a larva. The bite from certain large pond beetles is worse, though.

The good news is that, as larvae and adults, one of their favorite meals is mosquitos.

The folklore of many cultures says that it's good fortune to have a dragonfly land on you.

Thanks for the info...they are pretty...weird we do not live right near any water...the nearest water source is a mile or so away.

Dragonflies are very like mosquitoes in their breeding habits- a whole cloud of them can come out of a half full bucket of water left behind the garage, a watering trough left full can provide enough habitat for thousands to hatch. They are more common near lakes, rivers, etc, but if someone a half mile from you put in a decorative pond that measures as little as 4x6, it would be enough to populate the whole neighborhood.



MrsS can't type today

Thanks MrsS...our neighbors dirsectly across the street have a pond and so do a few others on the street.