About this item
Your guide to the beneficial insects in your garden!Good Garden Bugs is an easy-to-follow reference to beneficial insects that provide pest control, allowing your garden to grow full and bountiful.Aphids, caterpillars, grubs, and slugs are not only creepy-crawlies, they can wreak havoc on your garden and plants. But fear not!You don't need dangerous chemicals to enjoy a lively, healthy garden. The secret? More lady beetles, fewer aphids! Wildlife in your garden--especially insects--can be natural pesticide alternatives.From mantids to beetles to wasps, spiders, and everything in between, entomologist Mary Gardiner tells you how to identify these beneficial bugs, how to enhance your home landscape as a habitat, and how to work with them to grow and enjoy your garden.
About the Author
Mary Gardiner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University. She received a B.S. in Resource Ecology and Management from the University of Michigan, a M.S. in Entomology from the University of Idaho and a Ph.D. in Entomology from Michigan State University. Mary is originally from small community in northern Michigan where she grew up gardening with her family and enjoying the outdoors. Her love of nature developed into a career studying how human activity influences the sustainability and ecological function of agricultural and urban habitats. Much of her current research takes place within Cleveland, OH, a city that encompasses 20,000 vacant lots where homes and businesses once stood. Here, her laboratory is studying how the redesign of vacant land to restore native plant communities, improve storm water infiltration, and provide access to locally-produced food influences the environmental quality of city neighborhoods. Mary is also a State Extension Specialist who is active in the Ohio Master Gardener Program. She regularly presents programs on arthropod identification and how to enhance home landscapes, urban green spaces and small-scale farms as habitats for beneficial arthropods.
