This $13 Set of 6 Dragonfly Clips Are Super Cute — And Great for Keeping Bugs Away!

Bugs have always loved me. I don’t know if it’s the particular chemical makeup of my blood, but if there are insects outside, odds are they will find me. Because I live in a big city, mosquitoes tend to be my biggest nemesis, but I’m well aware that there are far more flying insects out there that are annoying at best and day-ruining at worst. If flies — especially the big ones that bite — are your problem, the easiest way to banish them is by bringing in another species: a set of fake dragonflies.

Basically, a dragonfly clip isn’t a trendy new hair accessory or a term for something in your toolshed. It’s simply a fake dragonfly on a clip! There’s a long section of wire that attaches the dragonfly to the clip, so when the air hits the wire, the dragonfly moves slightly, like a real flying dragonfly would. Because dragonflies are predators that eat other insects, this helps repel bugs. Robotics researchers at UC Davis have even studied how dragonflies expertly capture their prey in midair, so clearly these bugs are skilled, which is likely why flies tend to avoid anything that so much as looks like one.

I first discovered this hack from TikTok creator Mack Topa, who wore a dragonfly clip on the brim of her cap while walking her dogs. Deer flies usually flock to the pups on long walks, but not now. “Just made it down my entire road and not a single deer fly, that’s so exciting,” she says. But Topa is far from the first person to discover this hack — in a 2025 Reddit thread on r/camping I found, people discussed bringing these dragonflies on camping trips and clipping them to their chairs, tables, and even dogs while camping. One person even suggests attaching them to cows in a field “like a fly scarecrow,” for all the farmers out there. 

And if you clip one onto a hat, you’ll have protection wherever you go. But you can also use them in your permanent backyard setup — I came across one other video of a woman who initially thought they were a gimmick, but they ended up working so well and another person posted on Instagram sharing that she clipped them around her house and did not see a wasp or bee all day.

As the video shows, warding off flies using dragonfly clips is very simple. Simply clip the faux insects wherever you’re concerned about unwanted pests buzzing around! You can find a set of six clips for $12.99 on Amazon, but they’re sold at many other retailers, and if you’re crafty, you could always try your hand at DIY-ing some.

Buy: 6 Pack Dragonfly Clip, Amazon, $12.99