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Bio Insecticide 8 oz
Plant Food 8 oz
Bio Fungicide 8 oz
Aspect™ Gen 2 LED Growlight
Versa™ Tabletop Grow Light
Vita™ Grow Light
Mites. And then some.
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Beneficial bugsPredators matched to the pest you've got.Shop beneficial bugs →
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Prevention sachetsHang one before the pests show up.Shop prevention sachets →
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Soil & rootsEvery root partner in one pouch.Shop soil & roots →
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WateringSUStee knows when it's time.Shop watering →
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Pots & plantersHandmade planters by Linda.Shop pots & planters →
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Grow lightsLight for the plants far from the window.Shop grow lights →
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Plant food & spraysPlant care made from biology, by Arber.Shop plant food & sprays →
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FGMN OriginalsTees, mugs and totes, mite included.Shop FGMN Originals →
Plant care
Zero legs. Still useful.
Pots 2.4–10.2 inSUStee Soil Moisture Meter
Turns white when the roots need water. No batteries.
Dim cornersSoltech Aspect™ Gen 2 LED Growlight
A grow light that passes for a good pendant lamp.
Cover pot, 2–6 inRust & Orange Watercolor Planter
Handmade concrete cover pot in desert-sunset colors.
Desks & countersSoltech Versa™ Tabletop Grow Light
A desk lamp for plants. Plug it in and point it.
PreventionBare roots, repottingRoot Network
- ✓For: RepottingFresh potting mix
Mycorrhizae, Trichoderma and root bacteria in one pouch.
Cover pot, 2–6 inRainbow Watercolor Planter
Handmade concrete cover pot. No two swirls alike.
PreventionPotting & propagationTrichoderma harzianum
- ✓For: Root rotDamping off
Claims the roots before rot can.
Every 6–9 monthsSUStee Refill Cores (2-Pack)
A fresh core every 6 to 9 months. Keep the meter.
New here? Pick a door.
I know my pest
Something's wrong, not sure whatSend a photo, we'll tell you →
I want to stop it before it starts
Slow-release sachets keep predators on patrol →
“These guys SAVED my collection. The benes arrived quickly and went into action immediately.”
Shop · beneficials
Bugs that eat your bugs.
Live predators. Shipped fresh. Each card says the pest, treat or prevent, and what the starting size gets you.
Shop all beneficials →Not sure which one? →
TreatmentGardens & greenhousesLadybugs
- ✓For: AphidsYoung mealybugs +2 more
Eat aphids on sight. Fed well, they breed.
TreatmentTop of the potSf Nematodes
- ✓For: Fungus gnat larvaeThrips pupae in the soil +2 more
Hunts gnat larvae right where they breed.
Prevention40–70% humiditySpecial Blend Prevention Sachets
- ✓For: Thrips eggs and larvaeSpider mites +4 more
Four predators in one sachet. No diagnosis needed.
Buy more, save more. Any mix of sachets counts.
TreatmentMixed or unknown pestsSpecial Blend Predatory Mite Mix
- ✓For: Two-spotted spider mitesThrips larvae +3 more
Four predatory mites. One of them fits.
New · Soil beneficials
Root Network
It isn't a fertilizer. It's who lives down there. One gram per gallon, at repotting and once a month after.
- Mycorrhizae · extend the reach
- Trichoderma · works the root surface
- 5 root bacteria · support growth
Meet the microbesfrom $15
Know your enemy. We know theirs.
All pests →-
ThripsSilver streaks and tiny black specks on the leaves.See what eats them →
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AphidsSoft clusters on new growth, and sticky leaves below them.See what eats them →
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Fungus gnatsSmall dark flies lifting off the soil when you water.See what eats them →
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Spider mitesFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing.See what eats them →
This month · November
Thanksgiving week ships early.
Orders placed by Sunday, November 22 ship Monday or Tuesday. Nothing ships Wednesday through Friday, so your bugs don't spend the holiday in a truck. Orders after that ship from Monday, November 30.
Learn · at your level
Know your plant. Then your pest.
How deep should we go?
Beginner
New growth
The newest leaves. Thrips and aphids love this soft, tender spot, so check here first.
New growth is where the plant puts its energy. Twisted or misshapen new leaves are an early sign of thrips, aphids or broad mites.
The growing tip (apical meristem) makes every new stem and leaf. Feeding here shows up later, as scarred or distorted leaves once they open.
Apical meristem and expanding leaves: soft, nitrogen-rich tissue where phloem feeders (aphids) and cell-content feeders (thrips, broad mites) concentrate. Scout and release here first.
Who lives here: thrips, aphids, broad mitesThrips →
Field NotesThat Aphid Has a Tenant→
Beginner
Leaf, top side
This is where the plant makes its food from light. Silvery streaks or tiny pale dots mean something is feeding.
Tiny pale specks (stippling) usually mean spider mites. Silvery patches with black specks usually mean thrips.
Most photosynthesis happens in the palisade cells just under the top surface. Pests that empty those cells leave stippling or silvering behind.
Upper epidermis over palisade mesophyll. Read the damage to name the feeder: stippling (mites), silvering with frass specks (thrips), honeydew and sooty mold under aphid or scale colonies.
Who lives here: spider mites, thripsWhat’s wrong with my plant? →
Field NotesFlat Mites Keep a Low Profile→
Beginner
Leaf underside
Flip the leaf over. Most pests hide here, out of sight.
Spider mites, whiteflies and their eggs sit on the underside. It’s also where predatory mites hunt.
The underside holds most of the stomata, the pores the leaf breathes through, and a calmer, more humid pocket of air that many pests prefer.
Abaxial surface: highest stomatal density and boundary-layer humidity. Spider mites, whitefly nymphs and phytoseiid predators all work here, so aim releases and inspections underneath.
Who lives here: spider mites, whiteflies, predatory mitesSpider mites →
Field NotesSpider Mites Brought Their Own Security→
Beginner
Stem & nodes
The stem carries water up and food down. The little joints where leaves attach are called nodes.
Mealybugs and scale tuck into nodes and leaf joints. Check where each leaf stalk meets the stem.
Nodes hold buds that can grow new shoots, which is why cuttings root there. Their crevices also shelter mealybugs and scale.
Xylem carries water up, phloem carries sugars. Phloem feeders (mealybugs, soft scale, aphids) settle at nodes and petiole bases, where tissue is reachable and sheltered.
Who lives here: mealybugs, scaleMealybugs →
Field NotesThere’s Someone Under That Bump→
Beginner
Soil surface
The top layer of soil. If little flies hang around here, you probably have fungus gnats.
Fungus gnats lay their eggs in the top of damp soil. Letting it dry out between waterings helps.
The top layer of mix is where gnats lay eggs and where many thrips drop to pupate, so soil predators do their work here.
Upper few centimeters of media: egg-laying zone for fungus gnats and pupation site for western flower thrips. Target with Sf nematodes, Stratiolaelaps or Dalotia.
Who lives here: fungus gnats, thrips pupaeFungus gnats →
Field NotesRove Beetles Have Company→
Beginner
Roots
Roots drink water and hold the plant in place. Healthy roots are firm, not mushy.
Mushy brown roots usually mean rot. Fungus gnat larvae and root aphids feed down here too.
Fine root hairs do most of the water uptake. Mycorrhizal fungi extend that reach, which is what Root Network adds.
Rhizosphere: the zone around roots shaped by root exudates. Mycorrhizae, Trichoderma and root bacteria colonize it (Root Network); Pythium and root aphids compete for it.
Who lives here: gnat larvae, root aphids, Root Network’s microbesRoot Network →
Field NotesMycorrhizal Fungi Work for Dinner→FGMN Originals
Wear the mite.
20 oz ceramic mugMite Life: Big Sip Mug
20 ounces, with our coffee-loving mite.
Left-chest embroideryMite Life: Clean Sweep Hoodie
Our vacuum-wielding mite, embroidered small.
Relaxed fitPredatory Energy Tee
Our mite as an unlikely icon. Relaxed fit.
Organic cotton toteThis Is Not A Phase
Organic cotton tote for the lifelong collector.
Pest seasons where you live
November.
Loading the season calendar…
Learn · why not just spray?
Beneficials vs. the spray bottle.
Commercial greenhouses and farms have bet on predators for decades. Here's why.
Compared on
Spray bottle
Beneficials
The next generation
Most contact sprays don't reach the eggs, so the problem hatches again a couple of weeks later.
Predators keep hunting as the next generation shows up.
Resistance
Pests can build resistance, so the same spray works less well each time.
Pests can't evolve their way out of being eaten.
What's left behind
Residue on leaves and in the soil, and label precautions to follow.
Nothing on the leaves. Safe around people, pets, plants and food crops.
After it's applied
It works when you spray it. Then you spray again.
With food around, many predators breed right on the plant and keep eating.
Already sprayed? Some sprays linger and can hurt beneficials. Tell us what you used before you release.
Ask TobyField Notes: Give Beneficials a Head Start
Field Notes · picked for you
What do you grow?
Pick everything that fits. We'll show the reading that matters, and remember it next time.
A good place to start
All of Field Notes →
Reading for general plant health
All of Field Notes →Reading for gardening
All of Field Notes →
Reading for plant collecting
All of Field Notes →
Reading for cannabis
All of Field Notes →
HumidityHumidity Is Only Half a Number
Grow LightsIs Your Grow Light Reaching the Leaves?
Biological ControlSpider Mites Are on the Menu
Cannabis-specific reading is still being written. These cover the same grow-room problems: humidity, light and spider mites.
Reading for greenhouse growing
All of Field Notes →
Reading for terrariums & reptiles
All of Field Notes →We're writing these now. Pick it anyway, and we'll know you want more.
Meanwhile, these are worth a read for anyone growing:
Want reading like this every week? Join the Field Notes newsletter.
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These guys SAVED my collection. The benes arrived quickly and went into action immediately.
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I will never go back to pesticides again.
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I've never been so hopeful in my pest pressure battle as I am now.
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My preferred pest control professional.
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Releasing the cracken on these thrips immediately!!