Seasonality

Seasonal pressure — why timing matters

Pests, beneficial insects, and plants don’t respond at the same speed. Seasonal pressure is mostly the result of timing gaps — pests appear and reproduce first, beneficials follow later.

Spring

Establishment, imbalance, and impatience.

What’s happening

• Rising light and temperature drive fast plant growth
• Young, soft tissue attracts aphids, thrips and capsids
• Beneficial insects are present, but usually at low background levels
• Population balance is fragile and slow to respond

Why spring outbreaks feel dramatic

• Pests reproduce faster than predators early on
• Beneficials lag behind prey (normal ecology)
• Early disruption can delay biological stability for weeks

Spring focus: tolerate low pest levels, build habitat, and avoid repeated resets.

Early–mid summer

Speed versus stability.

What’s happening

• Higher temperatures shorten pest life cycles
• Dry conditions favour thrips and spider mites
• Beneficials perform best where humidity and structure are maintained
• Repeated knockdowns reset predator populations in favour of pests

Summer focus: manage environment (especially humidity) and protect refuges.

Late summer & autumn

Holding the gains.

What’s happening

• Pest pressure often drops naturally as growth slows
• Beneficial insects need flowers to persist between prey cycles
• Habitat determines overwinter survival and next-year starting pressure

Late-season focus: keep flowering going, avoid unnecessary clean-ups, preserve structure.

Seasonal summary

• Spring: expect imbalance — don’t overreact
• Summer: manage environment — don’t just chase insects
• Autumn: protect what you’ve built — set up next season