Create a hostile environment. For example, spider mites love a hot, dry environment. An active soil, rich with organic matter, encourages many predators, such as ground beetles, that will feed on overwintering pests or pupae that commonly drop to the soil for part of their lifecycle. Consider companion plants that attract predators. The arsenal Now we move to the active controls.
Physical controls are useful primarily for reducing populations.
They may be all that s needed to meet your particular level of tolerance. Often, the intent is to keep populations under some control until insect predators get established. It also includes removing invaded plant material, such as spent blooms infested with thrips. Insect predators usually arrive on their own, but can be augmented by introducing purchased populations. Lady beetles are the most commonly marketed predator, and often the least useful for introduction, since they tend to fly away when released.