I live in south east Michigan and this evening I saw many Dragonflies probably 50 -100. Here you may see one or 2 a week.
This was on Friday September 2, 2011 around 7:30 pm.
22, September 2011 TIME: 6:32 PM
I am writing this because I am so very confused. Up until lately, I have seen maybe 5 dragonflies in all 30 years of my life. At this ver moment, they are everywhere in my yard. They did this about one week ago also. It was a warm day, just like today. The only other thing I can possible think of is the stink bugs. I am not sure, but I think the stink bugs coming out when the air is warm has something to do with the dragonflies. It is so bad right now, that my German Shepard refuses to go outside. If there is something I can do to stop this crazieness, please let me know.
The dragonflies are most likely in your yard right now because you have a lot of other little bugs (maybe you can’t see them) that the dragonflies like to eat. The dragonflies are actually doing you a great service and ridding your yard of pesky and/or biting insects, so I would personally advise that you just let them do their thing. The dragonfly season is nearly over, so you might get one or two more instances like the ones you’ve already seen, but then they’ll either die off or head south for the winter and you won’t have to worry about them again for a long time.
If you happen to come back to check on my response, would you mind telling me where about you live? Your nearest city would be particularly helpful. If I know where you’re located, I can likely tell you more about what’s going on in your specific area. I’ve gotten 500 reports of dragonfly swarms in the last 3 weeks, so there’s a lot of activity going on right now, but there is one area where the swarming is particularly heavy.
I have a very large swarm outside my home is South Central, PA. They seem to be feeding on small flies /gnats. They have left several hundred dead or dying flies / gnats on top of our cars. They are feeding in a very large swarm Really an amazing site!
We are staying in a house on the beach on Kiawah Island, SC. Yesterday there were hundreds and hundreds of dragonflys flying by in a generally westerly direction. This swarm occurred in the mid to late afternoon – there was a pretty strong wind blowing out of the west but the dragonflys continued to fly into it. We are also on a golf course and one of the course employees came by on a golf cart – he said he had never seen anything like it – the large, large number of dragonflys flying by the house!!
Nice! It seems that you’ve seen a late season migratory swarm! There’s been a sharp decrease in the activity over the last few weeks, but most of the remaining reports are coming from SC and NC. Interesting that there are still dragonflies there and nearly nowhere else! Thanks for the report!
Hi dragonfly woman, we returned home at 7pm to find hundreds of these incredible dragonflies around our farmers porch. It was an amazing sight. We are 25 miles sw of Concord NH. 20 minutes later they had moved on. A great show!
I was curious as to why the dragonfly was swarming. During the week I saw a swarm in Amherst MA while hiking along Norwottuck mountain and
tonight I saw another swarm in West Suffield Ct on the MM trail. It looked as if they were feeding since they were flying with quick movements as if with a purpose that I could not see.
My apoligies in not getting back to you sooner! I’m a little behind on blog comments.
The dragonflies you saw were almost surely feeding based on the description you gave – and that’s the most common reason why these swarms form. Sometimes it can be hard to see the little prey insects they’re feeding on, but what you describe is typical for a feeding swarm. Hope you are enjoying seeing them! Two in a week is a great rate of observation!
Sooo strange, we live in Peabody, Massachusetts, and this afternoon there were hundreds and hundreds of dragon flies swarming about 30-40 feet above our back yard erratically. There were also many swallows flying in and around them. We have never seen anything like this ever before, and I have lived in this neiborhood for 46 years. We couldn’t see any other bugs in the air just the dragon flies and swallows. Amazing, and a bit magical sight.
I’ve been surprised at how many reports I get of swallows feeding alongside the dragonflies. There had to have been something there for them to eat or you wouldn’t have gotten so many dragonflies and birds. Did you ever see a swallow eat a dragonfly? And were the swallows flying just a little higher than the dragonflies? I’m rather fascinated by this behavior.
Dragonflies don’t mate during the winter in most parts of the country, but swarming isn’t a mating thing – it’s a feeding or migration thing. This is actually the migratory season, so it’s not entirely surprising that you’re seeing this happening now. Don’t suppose you’d be willing to make a report? I’d love to get one from you: thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/report
My neighbor just got done his tree and in a matter of five or 10 minutes we had to do 300 dragonflies flying around the tree we thought they were wall so hornets from for away and when we realize they were dragonflies the question was do dragonflies live in trees or the eating the mites in the mosquitoes that we have here in Kansas City, KS 66109
They’re eating the insects for sure, not the tree. You just stirred a bunch of little insects up, thus the swarm of dragonflies. They were helping you out!
The Dragonfly Woman 
Pingback: Dragonfly Swarms | The Daily Wing
I live in south east Michigan and this evening I saw many Dragonflies probably 50 -100. Here you may see one or 2 a week.
This was on Friday September 2, 2011 around 7:30 pm.
22, September 2011 TIME: 6:32 PM
I am writing this because I am so very confused. Up until lately, I have seen maybe 5 dragonflies in all 30 years of my life. At this ver moment, they are everywhere in my yard. They did this about one week ago also. It was a warm day, just like today. The only other thing I can possible think of is the stink bugs. I am not sure, but I think the stink bugs coming out when the air is warm has something to do with the dragonflies. It is so bad right now, that my German Shepard refuses to go outside. If there is something I can do to stop this crazieness, please let me know.
Thanks Patricia
The dragonflies are most likely in your yard right now because you have a lot of other little bugs (maybe you can’t see them) that the dragonflies like to eat. The dragonflies are actually doing you a great service and ridding your yard of pesky and/or biting insects, so I would personally advise that you just let them do their thing. The dragonfly season is nearly over, so you might get one or two more instances like the ones you’ve already seen, but then they’ll either die off or head south for the winter and you won’t have to worry about them again for a long time.
If you happen to come back to check on my response, would you mind telling me where about you live? Your nearest city would be particularly helpful. If I know where you’re located, I can likely tell you more about what’s going on in your specific area. I’ve gotten 500 reports of dragonfly swarms in the last 3 weeks, so there’s a lot of activity going on right now, but there is one area where the swarming is particularly heavy.
I have a very large swarm outside my home is South Central, PA. They seem to be feeding on small flies /gnats. They have left several hundred dead or dying flies / gnats on top of our cars. They are feeding in a very large swarm Really an amazing site!
Ha ha! I love that your dragonflies are leaving you “gifts” on your cars! Your description gave me the best mental image. Glad you enjoyed the swarm!
We are staying in a house on the beach on Kiawah Island, SC. Yesterday there were hundreds and hundreds of dragonflys flying by in a generally westerly direction. This swarm occurred in the mid to late afternoon – there was a pretty strong wind blowing out of the west but the dragonflys continued to fly into it. We are also on a golf course and one of the course employees came by on a golf cart – he said he had never seen anything like it – the large, large number of dragonflys flying by the house!!
Nice! It seems that you’ve seen a late season migratory swarm! There’s been a sharp decrease in the activity over the last few weeks, but most of the remaining reports are coming from SC and NC. Interesting that there are still dragonflies there and nearly nowhere else! Thanks for the report!
Hi dragonfly woman, we returned home at 7pm to find hundreds of these incredible dragonflies around our farmers porch. It was an amazing sight. We are 25 miles sw of Concord NH. 20 minutes later they had moved on. A great show!
So glad you got to see one! Aren’t they fabulous?
I was curious as to why the dragonfly was swarming. During the week I saw a swarm in Amherst MA while hiking along Norwottuck mountain and
tonight I saw another swarm in West Suffield Ct on the MM trail. It looked as if they were feeding since they were flying with quick movements as if with a purpose that I could not see.
My apoligies in not getting back to you sooner! I’m a little behind on blog comments.
The dragonflies you saw were almost surely feeding based on the description you gave – and that’s the most common reason why these swarms form. Sometimes it can be hard to see the little prey insects they’re feeding on, but what you describe is typical for a feeding swarm. Hope you are enjoying seeing them! Two in a week is a great rate of observation!
Sooo strange, we live in Peabody, Massachusetts, and this afternoon there were hundreds and hundreds of dragon flies swarming about 30-40 feet above our back yard erratically. There were also many swallows flying in and around them. We have never seen anything like this ever before, and I have lived in this neiborhood for 46 years. We couldn’t see any other bugs in the air just the dragon flies and swallows. Amazing, and a bit magical sight.
I’ve been surprised at how many reports I get of swallows feeding alongside the dragonflies. There had to have been something there for them to eat or you wouldn’t have gotten so many dragonflies and birds. Did you ever see a swallow eat a dragonfly? And were the swallows flying just a little higher than the dragonflies? I’m rather fascinated by this behavior.
Do dragonflys mate all year? I’m seeing this happen here on Arlington Washington in the first of Oct.
Dragonflies don’t mate during the winter in most parts of the country, but swarming isn’t a mating thing – it’s a feeding or migration thing. This is actually the migratory season, so it’s not entirely surprising that you’re seeing this happening now. Don’t suppose you’d be willing to make a report? I’d love to get one from you: thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/report
My neighbor just got done his tree and in a matter of five or 10 minutes we had to do 300 dragonflies flying around the tree we thought they were wall so hornets from for away and when we realize they were dragonflies the question was do dragonflies live in trees or the eating the mites in the mosquitoes that we have here in Kansas City, KS 66109
They’re eating the insects for sure, not the tree. You just stirred a bunch of little insects up, thus the swarm of dragonflies. They were helping you out!