This training package was developed by UC IPM to help UC Master Gardeners educate other Master Gardeners and their local communities about biological control and natural enemies.
View additional training packages offered by UC IPM on the Training Materials page.
Prepare to Present
- Read the Pest Notes: Biological Control and Natural Enemies of Invertebrates and other resources on the biological control webpage. Make sure you understand the information.
- Consider purchasing or borrowing a copy of the Natural Enemies Handbook to bring to your class.
- Familiarize yourself with the Natural Enemies Gallery. Sort the gallery list by pest to view what pests each natural enemy attacks.
- Come up with an exciting title for your presentation. Examples may include:
- Using Good Bugs to Manage Garden Pests
- Natural Enemies of Garden Pests
- Beneficial Insects Instead of Pesticides
Review the Presentation
- Download the Biological Control Presentation.
- Review the script or notes for each slide in the PowerPoint presentation.
- Practice presenting the information and time yourself. The presentation is meant to be about 30 minutes to 1 hour long.
Request Training Materials
- Printed copies of the Natural Enemies poster are available to give out to training participants. Keep in mind that not everyone wants a poster for their home so order accordingly. Request the poster using this form.
- A loaner collection of 18 preserved natural enemy specimens can be borrowed from UC IPM. Request the natural enemies loaner collection using this form.
Primary Handouts
View these documents online or download. Your UC Master Gardener office should have paper copies of the Quick Tips cards. If not, ask your coordinator or office staff to order more.
- Biological Control Presentation Resources (PDF)
- Pest Notes: Biological Control and Natural Enemies of Invertebrates
- Quick Tips related to biological control:
Additional Resources
- Natural Enemies & Beneficial Bugs: What Are They? (webinar recording)
- Q&A for Natural Enemies & Beneficial Bugs Webinar (PDF)
- What are “Good Bugs”? (blog post)
- Releasing Ladybugs in the Garden (blog post)
