Flies won't leave you alone? This Canadian invention could help!
The Dragonfly Wingman is a low-tech but clever fix in a world of bug sprays and high-frequency repellents, and one that lets nature do the work
Nothing ruins a perfectly good summer day quite like an aggressive horsefly or deerfly. That’s what happened to Mike Dunlop as he tried to enjoy a day at the beach on Georgian Bay with his wife.
But then, something amazing happened.
“[A] pile of dragonflies came in, and they started eating them, and they were all spooked off. So we unloaded the boat again, spent the day with our new friends, the dragonflies, and that was it,” says Mike Dunlop, creator of the Dragonfly Wingman.
And that’s because dragonflies are predators that love to hunt horseflies and deerflies.
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The incident made Dunlop wonder if there was a way to replicate the dragonfly when there were none around. He started by fastening a cheap dragonfly to a wire and attaching it to the button of his cap.
After several reincarnations, the Dragonfly Wingman was born. It’s a lightweight decoy that attaches to your hat and mimics the movement of a real dragonfly.
Invented in Canada and tested in the great outdoors, the Wingman is designed to move subtly with your steps or the breeze, creating the illusion of a hovering predator. The invention was a huge success and proved to be even more popular after being featured on Dragon’s Den.
Watch the video above to learn more about the Dragonfly Wingman.
Copyedited by Anika Beaudry, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.
Thumbnail image created by Anika Beaudry with Canva Pro.