Save your houseplants and seedlings from Sciarid fly/Fungus gnats and larvae damage with our parasitic nematodes. 

Biological controls are not always kept in stock, they are ordered in fresh.  This can sometimes lead to a time lag between when you place the order and when it is despatched.

The adult fungus gnats/sciarid flies live on and around the compost surface of pots, more commonly indoors rather than outside. The flies themselves are an unsightly nuisance but most of the damage is caused actually by their young. The small white larvae live in the compost and feed on the tender roots of plants and cuttings. They will also come to the surface to feed. 

Nematodes are more effective if the sciarid population is high. The nematodes are watered on, and attack the sciarid larvae underground. Parasitic nematodes seek out suitable hosts by swimming in the thin film of water on soil particles, locating hosts by detecting carbon dioxide and other waste products. Once they find a host, they enter the body cavity through the breathing or feeding systems, and release bacteria (Xenorhabdus). The bacteria kills the host within hours, and the nematodes grow and reproduce within the 'broth', which they produce. The next generation of infective juveniles leaves the dead host, and moves in search of fresh hosts.

You can read the instructions for the nematodes HERE.

Combine with yellow sticky traps for better control.  A second treatment may be required depending on the level of infestation and the life cycle stage of the pest.

Thrips Prevention - Thrips are very difficult to reach with chemical sprays but Amblyseius predator mites are small enough to find and eat them, release early as they control the first stages of the Thrips lifecycle.

These sachets contain a breeding colony of mites that crawl out slowly over a 4-6 week period and attack the larvae and pupae stages of Thrips.  You can read the instructions for use HERE.

Inside the sachets can be used all year round and pose no risk to pets or humans.

Outside, for best results, introduce the Amblyseius in mid-May for frost-free glasshouses, or earlier where temperatures are constantly warm. Amblyseius will survive on pollen from flowers until the young thrips start to appear and provide them with a preferred diet, thus preventing an infestation from taking hold.

This product should be used in prevention of an outbreak so either around the time that you normally see Thrips or at the very first sign that they are present. If you already have a Thrips problem then please check out our other products for Thrips as you will need something that also controls the adult stage.

Vine Weevil nematodes are watered into pots or open ground with a watering can or hose, killing the vine weevil grubs.

Use as soon as the soil temperature reaches 5°C.  The parasitic nematodes enter the grub, poisoning it and then feeding off it to increase their numbers.

Sold in 2 sizes.

Biological controls are not always kept in stock, they are ordered in fresh.  This can sometimes lead to a time lag between when you place the order and when it is despatched.  Order by 10am Monday for same week despatch.

Save your houseplants and seedlings from Sciarid fly/Fungus gnats and larvae damage with our best selling solution. (Steinernema Feltiae/Carpocapsae mix).

The adult sciarid flies live on and around the compost surface of pots, more commonly indoors rather than outside. The flies themselves are an unsightly nuisance but most of the damage is caused actually by their young. The small white larvae live in the compost and feed on the tender roots of plants and cuttings. They will also come to the surface to feed. 

You need to control both the adults and the larvae or you will not break the cycle.

For the adults use the new eco yellow sticky traps, you get 5 (12cm x 5cm) traps.

For the larvae nematodes are watered onto deal with the larvae underground. Parasitic nematodes seek out suitable hosts by swimming in the thin film of water on soil particles, locating hosts by detecting carbon dioxide and other waste products.

Once they find a host, they enter the body cavity through the breathing or feeding systems, and release bacteria (Xenorhabdus). The bacteria kills the host within hours, and the nematodes grow and reproduce within the 'broth', which they produce. The next generation of infective juveniles leaves the dead host, and moves in search of fresh hosts.  You can read the nematode instructions HERE.

A second treatment of nematodes may be required depending on the level of infestation and the life cycle stage of the pest.

Nemaslug or alternative

Slug nematodes can be used once your soil temperature is above 5°C.  Check your soil temperature here. Do not buy nematodes more than a week before application.

We supply packs of microscopic beneficial nematodes (eelworms) which are watered into pots or open ground. You can read the application instructions HERE.

Use as soon as soil temperature reach 5°C and every 6 weeks to keep slugs at bay. This pack treats 40 sqm.  You can order individual packs or multiple packs delivered at 6 week intervals.  Click here for 100 sqm.

Got a question about using nematodes?  You may find the answer here

Phytoseiulus is the number one method for controlling glasshouse red spider mite, and is widely used by both amateur gardeners and commercial growers.

This species is a highly active hunter and has become a standard spider mite treatment in many crops. It develops twice as fast as the spider mite at humidity levels that are above 60% (unfavourable to spider mites, favourable to Phytoseiulus), which allows a rapid control of outbreaks.

A female Phytoseiulus can destroy ten spider mite females and their young in just seven days under optimum conditions. The tube holds living predator mites hidden in a bran carrier. You may not be able to see anything but the carrier as the mites are very hard to see with the naked eye. The tubes contain approximately 2,000 mites.  

Orders placed by 10am Monday will be despatched later in the week.

Some variants are only available from March.  A great alternative to ladybird larvae are aphid midge, or for larger areas lacewing larvae, both of these can be found here.

Both Ladybird adults and their Ladybird larvae are voracious eaters and can make a real difference to aphid (greenfly and blackfly) infestations both under glass and outside.

The ladybirds we supply are Adalia Bipunctata - the red two-spotted ladybird. They are one of many native species in the UK.  Ladybirds are one of the most popular controls for aphids but they do not prey on other insects so will not help with pests such as thrips and spider mite.  You can read instructions on how to release ladybirds for aphid control HERE.

The larvae are a more reliable predator as they cannot fly away.

If you have a large area to treat or have aphids in multiple areas of your home or garden then Lacewing larvae may be more suitable.

Some pack sizes are only available March to September.

Orders placed by 10am Monday will be despatched later in the week.

NB This predator is only active at temperatures in excess of 18-20°C

The most effective treatment for whitefly is the parasite "Encarsia". It is supplied on small cards which can be hung up around your plants.  You can read the instructions for this product HERE.

Biological controls are not always kept in stock, they are ordered in fresh.  This can sometimes lead to a time lag between when you place the order and when it is despatched.  Order by 10am Monday for same week despatch.

Glasshouse whitefly are small white flying insects which lay eggs on the undersides of leaves. Whiteflies suck sap from their host plant and drop sticky secretions onto leaves below. Left uncontrolled they will overwhelm the plant, weakening it and flying around in huge numbers. Undersides of leaves become populated with Whiteflies adults and white eggs (scales).

Whitefly are fairly inactive in cool temperatures over Winter, but multiply very quickly in warm Spring and Summer weather. They fly about at the slightest disturbance, like tiny moths, and may even create ghostly white clouds in the air.

Instructions for use

Encarsia works best with temperatures above 21°C but prefer cool glasshouse conditions below 25°C with 12hr+ daylight hours. Generally, this means introducing Encarsia from mid March to August, although it can be earlier or later with extra heat and light.

Hang cards on lower branches so that they may be in a slightly shady position.

5 cards should give good control for an average conservatory or small greenhouse. If you have a longstanding battle with whitefly follow up the initial treatment with a second introduction one weeks later.  If you have a low lever of whitefly or are using Encarsia as a preventative method then application can be every 2 weeks.

Identifying Whitefly

Remember whiteflies are nearly always moving. If you see white threads static on tops of the leaves, they are not whitefly but something else - very likely to be shed aphid skins dropped down from developing Aphid under leaves above. Or they could be thrips larvae. They are not "whitefly" unless body and wings are a ghostly white.

The glasshouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)is the most common. You can recognise them by their heart-shape profile when looked from above. Tobacco whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) have parallel wings which are longer, and when folded you can still see a strip of their back between the wings. There are up to 50 different species of whitefly in Europe, but from a gardeners point of view they are all plant pests. 

Although Encarsia is very effective for the common glasshouse whitefly, it doesn't work so well for tobacco whitefly. It's therefore worth trying to identify what whitefly you have before treating. If you need any help identifying the whitefly you have then please don't hesitate to contact us.

Lacewings are best known as a predator of aphids, and fully deserve the nickname "aphid lion" as a single insect can consume 100-600 aphids in its lifetime.

You can read the instructions for this product HERE.

Sold in 500s or 1000s.  Orders placed by 10am Monday will be despatched later in the week.

Indoors this nasty pest can be present all year round, as temperatures and hours of daylight rise you may find bigger infestations and problems outdoors.

You can treat scale with nematodes, solution is sprayed on to the leaves of affected plants.  The nematodes 'swim' on the film of water allowing them to enter the scale insect and kill them. 

The temperature must be above 14°C for treatment to work and you must follow the steps below carefully but this provides a really great way of controlling scale.  You can red the full instructions for the nematodes HERE.

Aphid Midge (Aphidoletes aphidimyza) will tackle a wide range of aphid species and are particularly useful for controlling aphids in early and late season. 

Biological controls are not always kept in stock, they are ordered in fresh.  This can sometimes lead to a time lag between when you place the order and when it is despatched.  Order by 10am Monday for same week despatch.

Adults actively hunt for aphid colonies - Once an adult female (around 2mm long) finds a colony she will lay her eggs next to it - The eggs hatch into highly visible orange larvae which feed on the colonies of all types of aphids. Up to 60 different species of aphid.  Larvae inject a poison into the aphid to paralyse it and dissolve the body contents.

The larvae take 7-16 days to mature before pupating in soil or compost and adults emerge after 10-14 days.  You can read the instructions for this product HERE.

Orders placed by 10am Monday will be despatched later in the week.  The smaller size packs, 250 cocoons are only available March - September.

Orius laevigatus is the final frontier for fighting a Thrips infestation.  We sell a mixture of 500 adults and nymphs to attack all stages of Thrips, one of the only biological control agents that is able to kill adult thrips.

Orius bugs will also feed on aphids, mites, whiteflies and moth eggs.

Orius laevigatus performs well on the majority of plants, particularly those with pollen producing flowers.  Orius predators work better when contained/confined.  This can be done by isolating the plants you are treating to one room and closing them in or covering the plants with netting.  More about netting here

Products should be ordered by Monday 10am for despatch the same week, get in touch if you would like a different despatch day.

These mites are one of the most effective controls for sciarid fly larvae.

Mobile predatory mites that feed on sciarid fly larvae and other 'soil' pests including thrips pupae and root mealybug. Adults are reported to live for several months and survive up to 50 days without food, making them ideal in situations of very low pest populations. At night they move a short distance up, on to the plant foliage and will feed on mealybug and other soft bodied prey. Mites are very mobile and soon distribute themselves throughout the crop.

Sold in 2 sizes.  Orders placed by 10am Monday will be despatched later in the week.

Trap adult Vine Weevil - These brilliant traps are simple wooden tiles with grooves cut in the underside filled with nematodes.

We are so pleased to be able to offer these traps, Vine Weevil plague so many of our customers and, up til now, we have only be able to offer nematodes for the young larval stage see those here.

Two weeks after putting the traps down you could see a 80 -100% reduction in Vine Weevil! 

The best predator to attack mealybug is the brown Australian Ladybird "Cryptolaemus montrouzieri".  These predators work best when temperatures are above 20°C with good light 

This product is sent directly from the breeder.

These predators work better when you can keep them in place, either in a closed off room or by using a physical barrier like Insectonet.

This is our most effective control for aphids in enclosed spaces and greenhouses and is favoured by commercial growers.

Aphidius are the most popular, and least expensive way of controlling common aphids, which is why they are the first choice for the commercial grower. Aphidius colemani tend to tackle the smaller aphids such as Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii - for larger aphids there are Aphidius ervi. 

Sold in tubes of 500.    You can read the instructions for this product HERE.

Finally, you can net off your fruits and veg in an eco-friendly way that doesn't generate harmful plastic waste.

Plastic-free, biodegradable insect netting. Made from plants, not petroleum.

Looks like plastic, feels like plastic, but is not plastic.

Protect your fruit and vegetables from common garden pests such as flies, butterflies and birds. The fine mesh ensures protection against even the smaller pests whilst allowing a high amount of light penetration to ensure good growth.

Shipped in recyclable packaging. InsectoNet comes as a single piece of fabric 2.1 by 5.0 metres in size that can easily be cut to size. The high quality fabric means it won't fray on the edges when cut. It lasts at least 3 years.

Use from planting until harvest, approximately April - September.

Do not use during flowering period for plants which require pollination.

Flies, butterflies and moths are often attracted to fruit and vegetable plants to lay eggs which hatch into devastating pests. If adults are kept away from plants, they cannot lay eggs. Using a fine net prevents egg laying and therefore the need to control feeding pests.

The 0.85mm fine mesh provides excellent protection against many pests including;

Cabbage Root Fly

Carrot Root Fly

Onion Fly

Cabbage White Butterfly

Pea Moth

Leek Moth

Cutworm

Thrips

Whitefly

Leaf Miners

Many common aphid species

Finally, you can effectively net your fruit and vegetables without plastic! Biodegradable, this netting is revolutionary. It looks and feels just like a plastic net, but is made from plants.

And as an added bonus you can use it as a plastic free frost fleece!  It will protect from a light frost down to 2°C

Thrips Prevention - Thrips are very difficult to reach with chemical sprays but Amblyseius predator mites are small enough to find and eat them, release early as they control the first stages of the Thrips lifecycle.

Use indoors, all year round.

Use outside, introduce the Amblyseius in mid-May, or earlier where temperatures are constantly warm. Amblyseius will survive on pollen from flowers until the young thrips start to appear and provide them with a preferred diet, thus preventing an infestation from taking hold.

This product should be used in prevention of an outbreak so either around the time that you normally see Thrips or at the very first sign that they are present. If you already have a Thrips problem then please check out our other products for Thrips as you will need something that also controls the adult stage.

Biological controls are not always kept in stock, they are ordered in fresh.  This can sometimes lead to a time lag between when you place the order and when it is despatched.  Order by 10am Monday for same week despatch.