A Chemical-Free Anti-Mosquito Solution: Wearing Fake Dragonflies

In the English county of Cornwall, a contracting firm called Cormac handles construction, road maintenance and environmental services. On a job last summer, a Cormac crew had to clear riverside vegetation, and were getting eaten alive by biting insects.As a test, Cormac worker Harry Blake purchased some plastic dragonflies. (Dragonflies are natural predators of mosquitoes and horseflies.) He rigged them up on the worker’s helmets: Over four days of on-the-job testing, the workers found the fake dragonflies were effective—when mounted to springy, rather than rigid, wires; apparently their motion convinced biting insects that they were real. The crew also reported not needing to use bug spray. So if you’re looking for a chemical-free mosquito solution next barbecue season, and don’t mind looking a little silly, pick up a few of these.