The more we know about the pests and diseases that annoy us, and understand their life cycle, the more we can be clever about finding easy ways to interrupt the life cycle while they are vulnerable. Most insects have different life stages, and are more vulnerable at some times than others. The best form of pest and disease control will always be having healthy plants and soil, and a garden full of diversity of plants, animals, birds, insects and soil biology. But often a little intervention from us at the right time can reduce a pest population so natural predators can deal with them more effectively.

Read the article in Winter – Week 4.