Garden Habitat

Critters, Beneficial Insects and Pest Control

In the Garden

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Bug free is not the way to be! It is neither possible nor desirable to eliminate creatures from your garden. Many play an important part in the health of your plants and ecosystem.

Did you know that ladybug beetles, praying mantis, and spiders can consume large quantities of insects harmful to your garden plants?

Old farming lore holds that "companion planting" increases health, flavor, and/or resistance of plants to disease or pest infestation.
Try a few and see if it works:

garlic and tomatoes
squash and nasturtiums
beans, peas, and potatoes
carrots and parsley

Controlling Insects (PDF, 717 KB)
Children's Gardens
Bremner, Elizabeth and John Pusey. University of California Cooperative Extension, 1990.
Grade: 4-6
Insect Collecting (PDF, 611 KB)
Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Guide
Texas A&M University, 1999.
Grade: K-6
CA State Standards: Science Kindergarten: 2a, 4a; Science Grade 2: 4f
School Yard Survey (PDF, 120 KB)
Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Guide
Texas A&M University, 1999.
Grade: K-6
CA State Standards: Science Grade 3: 3c; 5e
Weeds (PDF, 268 KB)
Children's Gardens
Bremner, Elizabeth and John Pusey. University of California Cooperative Extension, 1990.
Grade: K-6

In the Classroom

The Bartering System (PDF, 689 KB)
Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Guide
Texas A&M University, 1999.
Grade: 4-6
CA State Standards: Science Grade 3: 3a, c; Science Grade 4: 3c, d; Science Grade 6: 5a, b
Getting to Know Red Worms (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Closing the Loop
Permission granted by California Integrated Waste Management Board, ciwmb.ca.gov
Grade: K-3
CA State Standards: Life Science Grade 3: 3.a
The Great and Powerful Earthworm (PDF, 113 KB)
The Growing Classroom: Garden-Based Science
Jaffe, Roberta and Gary Appel. Addison Publishing Company, 1990.
Grade: K-6
CA State Standards: Life Science Grade 3: 3.c, 5.d
Pollinator Puppet Show (PDF, 554 KB)
Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Guide
Texas A&M University, 1999.
Grade: K-6
CA State Standards: Science Grade 2: 2f, 4d
What a Pest!
What's Bugging You?
Emery, Pamela and Ethan Heifetz. California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, 2001.
Grade: 4-6

Taking it Further

Earth, Planet of Insects (PDF, 122 KB)
The Growing Classroom: Garden-Based Science
Jaffe, Roberta and Gary Appel. Addison Publishing Company, 1990.
Grade: K-6
Horticulture... As Diverse as our State!
What's Growin' On? 4th Edition
Emery, Pamela. California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, 2005.
Grade: 4-6

Resources

Children's Literature

Barner, Bob. Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Chronicle Books, 1999.
This simple text with vibrant colors provides young readers a positive spin in the bugs they see around their garden and home.
Cherry, Lynne. How Groundhog's Garden Grew. The Blue Sky Press, 2003.
Little Groundhog learns about the joys of gardening after his friends in the garden make him look at the food he eats in a whole new way.
Godkin, Celia. What About Ladybugs? Sierra Book Clubs for Children, 1998.
A gardener learns first-hand about the delicate natural balance of his garden and the harmful effect of spraying insecticides. (Grade 4-6)
Johnston, Tony. The Barn Owl. Talewinds, 2000.
Learn what a barn owl does day and night and through the seasons. (Grade K-3)
Krudwig, Vickie Leigh. Cucumber Soup. Fulcrum Publishing, 1998.
This counting picture book, full of whimsical insects, introduces the many critters one would find in the garden and explains their benefits and drawbacks. (Grade K-3)
Lauber, Patricia. Earthworms: Underground Farmers. Henry Holt and Company, 1994.
Take a look at the world of earthworms and learn how important these creatures are to healthy garden ecosystems. (Grade 4-6)
Starcher, Allison M. Good Bugs for Your Garden. Alogonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1998.
This book is full of illustrations of "good bugs." Each figure is surrounded by important facts including size, eating habits, and life cycles. (Grade 4-adult)

For Teachers

Check out the University of New Hampshire, Cooperative Extension's beautiful website that offers lessons on beneficial insects and animals.
horticulture.unh.edu/ggg/nature.html
Pollination (PDF, 396 KB)
Grow Lab
National Gardening Association. Knox Park Foundation, 1988.