Spring gardens and Zombie insects

The Friends of the University of Alberta present Raise The Bar
with Janet Sperling

Spring gardens and Zombie insects

As we venture into our dormant gardens, clearing away wet leaves and broken branches, we should be on the lookout for lady bugs, those fearsome foes of aphids, and lacewings, ferocious predators of the same sap sucking hemipterans. A lucky few will stumble on zombie insects. A naïve gardener may see innocent parasitized aphids and gasp when a parasitic wasp emerges. Gardening will never be the same when you learn to recognize signs of our heroic plant defenders – also known as Biological Control agents – defenders that predate human agriculture. We will learn why lazy gardeners who leave the leaf litter may be helping to defend our treasured tomatoes.

Tue, Apr 28, 2026

5:15 PM Doors Open
6:00 PM Speaker + Q&A
8:00 PM Event Ends

Ticket includes 1 drink (beer, wine, non-alcoholic)

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Janet Sperling, PhD is an alumna of the University of Alberta where she first graduated with a B.Sc. Ag in Horticulture, followed by an MSc in Entomology and more recently a PhD in Systematics and Evolution. She is currently president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation where she advocates for better diagnosis and treatment of this increasingly important tick-borne disease.

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Raise The Bar is a program designed by The Friends of the University of Alberta to provide engaging learning opportunities delivered by U of A researchers in a casual setting – like a bar. We’re raising the bar on the way people consume content!