“Bugs that Bother Us” takes a different angle from last year’s “Introduction to Insects in Your Backyard.” After a brief refresher on the characteristics that make insects well adapted for survival, we’ll tour the cast of characters from benign distractions to Really Bad Bugs. Some types, like ticks, aren’t even insects. We’ll consider ways to avoid being bugged, and highlight the diverse diabolical lineup that awaits us in Alberta.
Instructor: Dr. Janet Sperling
Janet Sperling started her career as an entomologist at the University of Alberta with a BScAg (1983) in horticulture and by cursing the insects eating her potatoes. She soon learned to respect and then admire her adversaries. Graduating with an MSc (1988) in plant-insect interactions, she later pivoted to better understand the bacteria found in ticks. After a family member fell sick with Lyme disease, she undertook a PhD (2021) in tick microbiomes to better gauge the risks of tick-borne illness in Canada. She most recently taught introductory entomology at the U of A (2021) and is currently the president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.
