Principles

The rules of thumb that amplify beneficials and reduce pest pressure long-term.

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Top 10 principles

  1. Think balance, not elimination. Low pest levels feed beneficials and keep them present.
  2. Stability beats speed. Repeated resets favour pests.
  3. Habitat is control. Shelter and refuges matter as much as prey.
  4. Flowers are infrastructure. Nectar and pollen keep predators alive.
  5. Messy edges matter. Margins are recovery zones.
  6. Predators need time. Beneficials lag behind pests — that’s normal.
  7. Climate always favours someone. Manage it so it favours beneficials.
  8. Small pest levels are normal. Background pests are fuel, not failure.
  9. Soil life counts. Active soils discourage soil larvae and support rove beetles.
  10. Gentle intervention protects the system. Treat what you must, preserve refuges.