Explore the world of pests, predators and parasites at the Insect Festival.
By: Anthony Stoeckert
Do you shudder at the sight of a cicada? Does a buzzing bee send you into a panic? When you come across a cricket, are you more jumpy than the cricket itself?
There are reasons we fear insects they’re unpredictable, strange-looking and some of them can hurt us. A parent’s fretful reactions to a beetle or fly can be passed down to children when the fact is, the overwhelming majority of insects are completely harmless and many of them are helpful.
In order to alleviate our bug fears, and to show children (and adults) a good time, the Master Gardeners of Mercer County are hosting their fourth annual Insect Festival Sept. 9 at the Mercer County Home Compost Demonstration Site and Gardens. The day’s events will include tagging monarch butterflies, an insect safari, hayrides, question-and-answer sessions, an insect puppet show and a costume parade.
The festival started when, in the words of Barbara Bromley, Mercer County horticulturist, the Master Gardeners decided to do some "bug stuff." So they brought some insects to the compost site and put on a puppet show.
"It has progressed," says Ms. Bromley, who will answer questions about insects at the festival. "It’s developed a life of its own actually. But the goal of the insect festival is to ameliorate fear with the kids because, for a lot of young people, if it flies around or has six legs, they’re afraid of it. But once they learn that (not all bugs are) going to sting you… it’s fascinating for them to watch the insects."
If your child has a fear of creepy crawlies, Ms. Bromley suggests bringing them to the festival, but not forcing them to do anything they’re not comfortable with (don’t push them to touch or pick up the bugs they’ll see). But after a little education and watching other children interact with insects, there’s a good chance those fears will be gone before the festival is over.
"Usually, by the end of the day, they’re already turned around, but for those who come back, the second time they run in," Ms. Bromley says. "The first time, maybe they’re holding onto Daddy’s legs."
Spending just a little time with a bug expert can help alleviate fears. During a visit with Jeff Hoagland, educational director of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed (who will be leading the insect safari at the festival), my daughter and I were shown monarch butterfly caterpillars and milkweed bugs resting on leaves (not yet adults, the milkweed bugs grouped together as a method of protection). Next, we walked through the tall grasses of the watershed to find soldier beetles, leaf hoppers and lace wings. Mr. Hoagland’s fascination with insects is infectious, as is his utter lack of fear as he searches for insects in a net after sweeping it through grass, weeds and wildflowers.
"We’re surrounded by a wealth of magic in the insect world," says Mr. Hoagland. "There’s a lot of fear and misunderstanding, and I sort of feel like an ambassador, I like to help people understand that (insects) are just neighbors and have interesting lives, and just like our human neighbors, we should spend some time with them and learn about them. There’s an endless world of fascination."
The festival will include butterfly-related activities to coincide with the time of the year for monarch butterflies to make their flight. As Mr. Hoagland explains it, the monarch migration takes place over several "generations." The fall migration will see new butterflies (fresh from being a caterpillar) fly from New Jersey all the way to Mexico, where they will spend the winter. Then they will fly over the Gulf of Mexico, mate in the Gulf states, and die. The next generation will fly a little more north, mate and die. The next generation will reach New Jersey so that we can see new monarchs next summer.
So if bugs are so cool, why do they have such a negative image? Ms. Bromley says the reasons range from fear of eating one accidentally to concerns that they’ll ruin our gardens. But Ms. Bromley points out that of the 100,000 insect species in the United States, only 10 percent are pests, the other 90 percent are either what she calls "good guys," (beneficial insects that pollinate or eat pest insects) or are harmless links on the food chain.
Ms. Bromley says you can learn about insects by remembering your "P’s." Pests, like mosquitoes and bed bugs can be harmful to people. Other pests damage crops like the Indian meal moth and the drugstore beetle but there’s no need to be afraid of your vegetables because these insects won’t harm you if they’re accidentally eaten.
Some of the "good guys" Mr. Bromley referred to are predators (like the praying mantis, which actually doesn’t distinguish between good bugs and pests) and pollinators like bees and wasps. The praying mantis actually doesn’t distinguish between good bugs and pests, it eats both, so it’s not as good as we think they are. Their color size and praying-like posing, though, make them fascinating to humans.
Ms. Bromely says predator insects are distinguished by their front two legs, which are more muscular than their other legs, allowing them to seize other insects. This group includes ladybugs (which are actually beetles), rove beetles, lace wings, damselflies and big-eyed bugs.
"They’re all out there eating other insects, and that’s a very good thing," Ms. Bromley says. If you don’t use pesticides, there’s a good chance you can find these predators in your own backyard.
You can remember these groups of insects by remembering your "P’s". Pests, like mosquitoes and bed bugs, can be harmful to people and others (like the Indian meal moth and drugstore beetle) damage crops. You need not be afraid of your vegetables though, because these insects won’t harm you if they’re accidentally eaten.
The next group is parasites. One of Ms. Bromley’s "favorite" parasites is the braconid wasp. It’s a small wasp that lays its eggs on a tomato hornworm, which can damage tomatoes.
"The eggs hatch inside the body of the hornworm and feed on the hornworm," Ms. Bromley says. "Meanwhile, it doesn’t kill the hornworm because a true parasite does not kill its host, the host has to remain alive to still be a food source. So the tomato hornworm is not doing much feeding anymore, but braconid wasp larvae mature inside and then they pupate, and the pupa looks like a little grain of rice stuck on the back of a tomato hornworm."
This is the time of year to find them, and if you see a tomato hornworm in your garden, there could be 50 pupa on them. Ms. Bromley adds that you shouldn’t kill the hornworm, take it off the plant and set it on the ground. The hornworm won’t hurt your tomatoes because it’s not hungry at this point, and the wasps breeding will be needed next spring to pollinate.!"
The Master Gardeners Fourth Annual Insect Festival will take place at the Mercer County Home Compost Demonstration Site and Gardens, 431A Federal Road, Pennington, Sept. 9, 1-4 p.m. Admission is free. For information call (609) 989-6830. Master Gardeners of Mercer County on the Web: www.mgofmc.org