The Good The bad and the Harmless

By Guillermo Rodriguez

Information

This WebQuest 1is designed to help students identify simple pest that may be in a
strawberry field. This will be done to help students become more familiar with pest
or beneficials that may be present in one field at given moment. Each student will
be given a plastic box and will call it a “beat box”. Each student will go around and
beat a strawberry plant with the lip and see what insects they can identify with a
simple hand lens. This WebQuest would be best for a pant science class.

CTE: standards:

G5.1 Demonstrate how to categorize insects as pest, such as nematodes, beneficials

or neutral, and describe their roles.
G5.2 Explain the role of other pests, such as nematodes, molds, mildews, and
weeds.

Required tools:
 Plastic container with lid
 Phone or paper
 Magnifiy lens
Introduction:
The 25th anniversary of the Santa Barbara County Fair is taking take this month.
The fair needs 2 volunteers to help monitor the plants for pest. To assure great
fresh berries for all the fair customers. The county wants to pay students eager to
learn more about pest and help lower the pest population by monitoring before the
fair events. They would get a small stipend for their hard work.
Learning objection:
Today we will be learning the introduction of pest identification. This will
familiarize those who are familiar or are unfamiliar with pest in strawberry plants.
This lesson will help learn more about what Pesticide control advisors to on a day-
to-day basis.
Task:
The student’s role is to help lower the pest population by monitoring the pest by
beat boxing the plants to try and assure the best possible pest count and which
would help assure great quality berries.
Tools:
 Hand lens
 Plastic container (beat box)
 Gloves

Step 1: Walk one bed and try to get at least 10 plants per furrow.
Step 2: As you walk the rows you will beat the strawberry plant with the lid
downward into the container.
Step 3: repeat step 2 10 times.
Step 4: Leave the field and try to identify common pest.

Trial 1
Pest Spotted wing Lygus Two Spot spider
Drosophila mites
 1
2
3
4

Trial 2
Pest Spotted wing Lygus Two spot spider
Drosophila mites
1
2
3
4

Trial 3
Pest Spotted wing Lygus Two spot Spider
Drosophila mites
1
2
3
4

Trial 4
Pest Spotted wing Lygus Two spot spider
Drosophila mites
1
 2
3
4

This trial is a on going and the more data we collect the better idea of what pest are
common in our ranch. The process will continue for 10 weeks to ensure great
results.

This module will prepare you for a future as PCA a “ pest control advisor” and as
well jobs working in nurseries and managing farms.
Identification Rubric
Criteria Rating PTS
Finish 4 trials 20 pts

Identify Spotted wing 20 pts

Drosophila
Identify Lygus 20 pts

Identify Two spot spider 20 pts

mites

What are the five most spotted pest in the field.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.