A note about dragonflies...

[Safari Steve]

We in beautiful Central Florida have been blessed thus far with lovely weather this season. As it is that time of year when our insect friends are showing up all over, I feel it is important to speak up on behalf of one such creature which seems a bit misunderstood.
Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed more dragonflies than I have seen in a while. I have also noticed quite a few of our guests at Walt Disney World who are not familiar with these gentle insects swatting and flailing and running when they come near. This has resulted in the needless death of at least seven dragonflies in my presence.
Hear this: Dragonflies are one of the many wonders of this beautiful planet. They come in a wide array of colors and sizes, and they are quite docile. They do not bite, sting, or make people itchy, nor do they steal food from us. As a matter of fact, some people consider it good luck for a dragonfly to land on them. If a dragonfly lands on or near you, or flies past, please do not swat, run away from, or step on it. It will not hurt you, and you will look rather silly for reacting in such a manner to something that is in no way a threat.

Show me a person who has been injured by a dragonfly, and I'll show you a person who has ridden a bicycle with a rhinoceros.

 

[jaysue]

Good note and wish all people viewed dragonflies like that - we get a lot at our cottage in Ontario and we encourage them to come around because they eat those pesky mosquitos

thanks
jaysue

 

[Virgo10]

Excellent post. The DF in central FL look like B52's in comparison to the tiny ones we have up here in MA but they sure are beautiful.

Roberta

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

I wish Disney could help get out this message. If there was just some sort of information at the resort hotels, perhaps a note in the lobby or when you check in to the hotel.

I think if guests knew that it was actually considered good luck to be visited by a dragon fly, they would sit back and enjoy the visits.

 

[ebaynut31]

Well, I learned something new today.

I did not know that dragonfly's did not sting.

I will have more tolerance for them now.

Thanks. I love these boards. You never know what you will find!

 

[NotUrsula]

I think I was probably 10 before I ever heard that they were really called Dragonflies. Each adult can eat an absolutely ENORMOUS number of mosquitoes every day, usually at least 600. That's a lot of mosquito bites you *don't* get, thanks to the dragonfly!

I'm really amazed that people are trying to kill them, I thought everyone knew that Dragonflies are on our side. I love to watch them, their colors are just so beautiful in the sunshine.

 

[Safari Steve]

Yeah, I was shocked too. I saw two people swatting them yesterday at Epcot. One landed on a woman and you would have thought it was covered in blood the way she was flailing about. She was having quite a fit.

 

[safetymom]

Dragonflies are also the sign that many widows and widowers,parents,see as their loved ones that have died. There is a very lovely story on the dragonfly.

http://www.idhal.com/foc/dragonfly.html

 

[ThAnswr]

>The DF in central FL look like B52's in comparison to the tiny ones we have up here in MA but they sure are beautiful.<

You should see the spiders.

PS - I live in SW Florida.

 

[giatocj]

AMEN!!! Dragonflies are wonderful...and beautiful...and the absolute one bug that doesn't gross me out...they are really very sweet...last summer we had about 15 living outside our office and it was almost like they were pets...they swarmed our car every morning when we arrived...it was a great way to start the day.

Please be dragonfly friendly...they're our reward for all the other skeevy bugs on the planet

Donna C.

 

[DisneyKidds]

We let them go about their business unharmed...................but some of them suckers could fly off with a small child if they were so inclined .

Each adult can eat an absolutely ENORMOUS number of mosquitoes every day, usually at least 600. That's a lot of mosquito bites you *don't* get, thanks to the dragonfly!

Hey, people have been known to attract the oft misunderstood bat to their property to serve this very purpose. How do I encourage more dragonflies?

 

[TracyK]

Thanks for the post Steve. I just love Dragonflies, they are so beautiful. Looking forward to seeing some on my next visit.
Tracy

 

[PatriciaH]

DH loves Dragonflies. They are all over our house (pictures, statues, etc..)

 

[shelanaoaktree]

I agree! I love Dragonflies, when we were growing up, people use to tell us that dragonflies would sew your lips together, we were petrified.

Now that I am older, I have found that this is FAR from the truth!! I love them so much, I just recently got a tattoo of one on my lower back!!

Thank you so much for bringing up this topic

 

[grinningghost]

I would NEVER try to kill a dragonfly. They scare the bejeebies out of me - I couldn't get that close to one. They are HUGE. I let them live their life and I live mine.

 

[PrincessAurora]

Some people have different phobias. I personally love mice, rats and snakes.

I know there are people that totally freak out around these creatures. I am that way with dragonflies.

I was scared to death by one as a kid and I've never really gotten over it. While I would never intentionally kill one. I may be one of the swatting, screaming people if one got too persistant around me.

I can't really help it, they scare me.

You can all laugh now, its OK.

 

[sandygirl]

I am so glad that someone else remembers being told the ridiculous as a child! I too remember being told that a dragonfly will sew your mouth shut. Who in the world made that up? I still have a silly (scary) vision of having my mouth sown shut everytime I see a dragonfly. Glad I'm not the only one who believed this as a child. So weird!

This past weekend we were in Georgia visiting my Marine son and his wife and they took us to the Okeefanokee Swamp. It was actually beautiful, not what I expected. My DD5 is terrified of any kind of insect (she screams). The swamp is no place to be afraid of bugs. Fortunately by the time we left DD had made peace with the Dragonflies. It was amazing. She saw how beautiful they were and how many colors they came in and finally stopped screaming everytime one came within feet of her. She even asked me to take a photo of one. Her first insect obstacle overcome! Now if we could just make the ants friendly. And the whole time I kept waiting to see one fly by with a sewing thread attached. If I saw one I was "outta there".

 

[Samirella]

How could anyone be afraind of Evinrude?!