> > Why? Any reports on what is causing the die-outs? Just a personal observation of my property and the surrounding 20 or so miles. Last year was very wet (65+ inches) and the prior two years (when they number of colonies increased rapidly) were droughty. Our 2009-10 winter minimum temp was not very low; frost was max 2-3 inches deep, not deep enough to effect the colonies in the more well drained fields.. It reminds me of the population dynamics when the gypsy moths and Asian lady bugs were peaking in the New England region, perhaps 15-30 years ago. I suspect our extra ordinary populations of dragonflies this year will prove to be a similar phenom. We have also had an increase in butterfly populations on the farm over the last 6 years, IPM? GM row crops? No more livestock? Mark Mazer Hertford, North Carolina USA