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What’s Bugging Your Garden?

Erika Verrier

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Our Mission Today

  • Discuss insects in the garden
  • Observe some “pests”
  • See some of their “enemies”
  • Explore tools for investigating insects

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The Garden

  • Who is a gardener?
  • What purpose does the garden serve to humans?
  • What would you think if you found insects in your garden?
  • What purpose does the garden serve to insects?
  • What can you do?

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Investigate the Insects

  • Learn to understand its role in the environment
  • Identify the insect
  • What is it doing?
    • Worksheet & pest stations
  • Is it a “guest” or a “pest”?
  • Learn about its life cycle
    • How it lives and grows in the environment
  • Make a smart decision about how to protect the garden.

Host

(plants)

Organism

(pest or disease)

Climate

(environmental conditions)

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Aphids

  • Feed on plant juices
  • Piercing-sucking mouth parts
  • Steal plant nutrients
  • Introduce viruses to plants
  • Excrete “honeydew”
  • Give birth to hundreds of live clones who immediately start feeding!
  • Over 4,000 species!

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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVTitHBwpN0

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What can you do?

  • Types of control
  • Mechanical
    • Squish them
    • Trap them
  • Chemical
    • Pesticides
  • Biological
    • Natural enemies

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Explore “Good bugs”

  • Types of Biological Control
  • Predators
    • Eat aphids
    • Aphidoletes aphidimyza
  • Parasites
    • Put eggs inside aphid body
    • Aphidius ervi
    • Aphelinus abdominalis
    • Aphidius colemani

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Aphidoletes video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6MyKYt1a6I

Aphidius video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StSO7LSzzAw&list=PL41677A5DB92B55CE&index=23

Aphelinus video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWxjB2nKi2U

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What We Learned

  • The garden is HOME to many insects
  • Not all insects are pests
  • Investigate the insects before making a decision on how to protect your garden
  • Take home “tools”
    • Magnifier
    • Insect game
    • Bookmark
    • Sticker – tell a friend!

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