Not all insects are bad for the garden. In fact, we rely on many to rid us of other unwanted invaders. This presentation describes some of the common beneficial and pest insects that gardeners encounter in New England. We will take a look their habits and their lifecycles as we discuss how their presence affects the success of our garden year.  

Bonnie Power has an MA in Zoology from Boston University and taught college level science courses for over twelve years before leaving teaching for industry. After she retired, she began taking courses at Garden in the Woods in Framingham and became a wild flower tour guide. She completed the requirements to become a certified Master Gardener in the fall of 2016. In the fall of 2019, she completed the requirements for certification in Horticulture at New England Plant Trust. Bonnie also works on the Facebook page for MMGA and volunteers on the MMGA pH testing team. In 2015 she began volunteering on a Facebook page for insect identification which expanded her knowledge of insects. Out of that experience she developed a talk aimed at gardeners to acquaint them with beneficial and pest species of insects and other arthropods.