Photos of dragonflies requested for contest

CELINA-The City of Celina has a new tool to help continue its effort to control mosquitos and help balance the ecosystem here in town.

Dragonfly perches have now been placed at four different locations around the city.

Dragonflies have been known to eat hundreds of mosquitoes a day and the perches will help them thrive locally.

To help monitor the effectiveness of the new perches located at Celina City Hall, Donaldson Park near the splash pad, at the Historic Clay County Courthouse, and at the Clay County Museum of History, the city has a contest underway to encourage help from the public.

“We are offering $20 to the first and second person who takes a picture of a living dragonfly perched on one of these perches,” volunteer Jason Upton said.  “Simply snap the photo and then text it to my number (931-290-8210).

“I will decide the winners and then they will be prompted to retrieve their $20 from the City Hall in Celina.” 

Upton explained the effort was being made “to cater to our friends the dragonflies,” because the perches help them utilize their 360-degree vision.

“That’s why they like something to perch on top of,” he said.  “Large dragonflies can eat up to 600 mosquitoes a day.”

In addition to the four perches installed around town, Upton also encourages residents to erect their own.

“If you would like to support/cater to dragonflies, simply add a four-to-six-foot tall dowel rod or something similar adjacent to your flower gardens or other structures in and around your home,” he said.  “Place your dowel rods so that they are provided with the opportunity to utilize their amazing vision.”

The dragonfly perches will work in conjunction with bat boxes installed earlier this summer at Donaldson Park, which have already been effective in attracting bats, as at least two were reported to have taken up residence as of last month.

“Bats eat six times their body weight every night,” Upton explained when the bat boxes were installed.  “That equals thousands of insects, and that’s just what we need to help balance the insect population, especially the mosquitoes in Celina.”

The possibility of a Corps of Engineers-approved, small controlled burn at the park has also been discussed in the areas where mosquitoes are laying their eggs.

For more about Upton’s efforts, visit Facebook.com/CityofCelinaTN.