Great New Products From A Long-Time ARBICO Partner.

Here at ARBICO Organics, we would not be able to provide consistently excellent products to our customers without the support of our trusted vendor partners. Of all these partners, BioWorks® is one of our most trusted. For 20 years now, we have been working with their knowledgeable, innovative, and professional staff to bring you a line of exceptional products that help create extraordinary plants. We have continuously carried their tried-and-true products, like SuffOil-X, MilStop SP, and Molt-X, and eagerly embrace their new products as they come along. Right now, we have two great new products to offer – Principle™ WP and EpiShield® O. Keep reading to hear more on these two, and when you get a chance, go to our vendor page for BioWorks and see the whole line of their products. One more thing: we have two additional BioWorks products in the pipeline. They will be presented here in our blog in the not-too-distant future. 

                PRINCIPLE™ WP           

            

Although this is a new BioWorks product, its active ingredient is one that has been used for some time now - Beauveria bassiana (Strain BW149). This live fungus has been used for decades and its best-in-class efficacy in controlling some of the most damaging crop pests is undisputed. What makes organic Principle WP a novel product is its wettable powder formulation – it improves mixability, dissolves quickly in water, is low dust, has minimal leaf residue, no phytotoxicity, and is resistance-free. OMRI-listed Principle WP controls multiple life stages of aphids, beetles, cabbage loopers, grasshoppers, diamondback moths, mealybugs, psyllids, thrips, weevils, whiteflies, and more. It can be used in fields, landscapes, nurseries, and greenhouses. Sold in a 1 lb. size (SKU#1342000) or as a case of 12 - 1 lb. sizes (#SKU1342005).

           

                           EPISHIELD® O                       

Omri-listed EpiShield O is a botanical insecticide and miticide made from a proprietary blend of peppermint and clove essential oils. This new formulation has been developed to provide ease of use for growers, high mortality rates of targeted insects, low application rates, no risk of resistance or residue tolerance, and various modes of action. EpiShield O has a relatively low oil content, which offers less chance of phytotoxicity and more flexibility with applications. This concentrated product can be used indoors or outdoors on a wide range of agricultural and commercial crops and is effective against aphids, mealybugs, mites, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies and more. Exempt from REI & PHI. Sold in a 36 oz. size (SKU# 1332786), a 2.5 gallon size (SKU# 1332788), a case of 6 - 32 oz. sizes (SKU# 1332787), and a case of 2 - 2.5 gallon sizes (SKU# 1332789).

                    Submitted by Pam

Being Thankful at ARBICO

Here at ARBICO Organics we have a lot to be proud of – and thankful for. We are a small, family-owned company that has grown and prospered thanks to our committed staff of insectary workers, biocontrol consultants, shipping and warehouse personnel, bug wranglers and administrative specialists. There is a lot of talent here for a less than 50 employees! We are certain that our success is linked to our small number of experts. When you call us you get a real person, when you purchase a product from us, you can be assured that it has been vetted by a person in our building, and when you order bugs, you can be certain that your order has been handled by a knowledgeable bug wrangler that inspects it personally and packages it in the best possible way. In other words, our business philosophy is the opposite of Amazon’s – instead of super-large volume shipments handled by robots, we have a high volume of shipments that have been touched by dedicated individuals all the way through.

Our tight group of employees is not only the secret to our success but is also a big part of what makes us thankful. It is easy to build long-standing relationships with your co-workers when you work side-by-side. Not only do we work closely together to get our customers their products, but we are also dealing in products that we can be proud of. A commitment to provide clean, sustainable alternatives to toxic products runs through all of us and we will strive to give you what works for you. We are grateful to have this opportunity. And, of course, we are always thankful for our wonderful customers!

If you ever have questions, just call us (800-827-2847), you will find a real person on the other end of the call. For more information on us, check out our “About Us” page - https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/about-arbico. If you need more reasons to choose us, you can go to our “Why ARBICO Organics?” page - https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/why-choose-arbico-organics. 

                                 Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

How to Protect Your Home from an Ant Invasion

Have you ever gotten ants in your house? 

If you have, you probably just felt yourself involuntarily grimace. An ant infestation can seem infinite, especially if your house is not properly protected against ants and is possibly even actively inviting them inside. This article will provide a brief overview of the three most common nuisance ants in the USA (odorous house ant, carpenter ant, pavement ant), determine what prompts each type of ant to invade a home, and offer some tips for getting rid of an ant—including when it is time to throw in the towel and call a professional.

 

Odorous House Ant

 

Goodbye Cupcake! 

Unsurprisingly, a creature with “odorous” in its name gives off a rather pungent smell. However, living house ants do not have a particular smell. When an odorous house ant is crushed and killed, that’s when the odor is released. What it smells like tends to vary from person to person, though all of the reported scents are rather unpleasant. Bleu cheese and rotting coconut tend to be common scent descriptors, but other people report the smell as highly chemical, likening it to nail polish remover. If a colony establishes itself in your home, you run the risk of every step turning into a very stinky surprise. 

 

Odorous house ants tend to invade homes due to resource scarcity or due to rain destroying their outdoor nests. Due to rain being a motivating factor, spring and summer are primarily when house ants mount assaults on human residences. They’re very crafty and will alert members of their colony whenever a small entrance is found. This can be something like a crack in your home’s foundation or a grab in a window, but damaged utility piping can also provide an odorous house ant colony with an express line into your home. 

 

House ants are also strongly food oriented. In the wild, they primarily seek out honeydew, which is secreted primarily by aphids. If the honeydew production in an area cannot support all of the currently existing colonies, one or more colonies will be forced to leave in search of other food sources. Unfortunately, many of the processed sugars found in human pantries and fridges are very attractive to ants. 

 

Carpenter Ant

 

Carpenter ants have many things in common with the odorous house ant (they’re both ants after all), but there are some key differences. First, carpenter ants do not scent bomb you when they die, which is a welcome relief. They’re also much larger than house ants, which restricts the amount of feasible entry points into a home. 

Habitat motivation is the primary reason for a carpenter ant colony to invade a home. When carpenter ants are outdoors, they live in logs or hollow trees, and they love dead and rotting wood. Wet weather can cause wood rot in homes, which inevitably attracts carpenter ants. Even if the wood does not rot, it can soften, which then makes it easier for carpenter ants to excavate. 

 

Carpenter ants are not termites; they do not eat wood. Instead, they excavate it to build nests, discarding the wood they chew up and moving it out of the increasingly hollow nest. They have largely identical diets to odorous house ants, with a strong preference for sugars and proteins when scavenging in human kitchens. 

 

Pavement Ant

 

Pavement ants are similar in size to the odorous house ant, if not slightly bigger on average. Both species are substantially smaller than the carpenter ant. Their name comes from the pavement ants' preference to nest under cement, foundations, or stones. Because of this, pavement ant colonies can be prevalent pests around a home. 

 

Once a pavement ant colony has made its home under your home, they invade in a similar manner to odorous house ants due to their similar size. Foundation cracks are the equivalent of an all-access pass for a pavement ant; any small opening can be exploited. When pavement ants enter a house, they have a tendency to move in orderly trails along baseboards and siding, making them easy to spot. 

 

When it comes to raiding your kitchen, pavement ants love sugar just as much as the previous two species. Still, they’re much more omnivorous and will eat any type of food or food residue without much distinction, which makes them especially annoying to remove from a kitchen. 

 

Ant Control

So you’ve noticed ants in your house. What now? Thankfully, this is a common issue, and multiple products are on the market that can kill off invading ants. However, before you use any ant control products, take some measures to prevent another colony from invading in the future. 

 

-       Caulk entry points, especially for odorous house ants and pavement ants. 

-       For carpenter ants, check for damp wood. This can come from a leaky roof or plumbing system. 

-       Make sure that spills are promptly cleaned, especially sugary spills like juice. 

-       Regularly empty trash, especially if food scraps or waste are currently inside. 

 

 

Looking for a professional product? Check out ARBICO Organic’s selection of ant control products. Here’s to an ant-free home! - Robin @ARBICO Organics

 

ARBICO Organics was founded in 1979 in Arizona. Over 40 years later, ARBICO Organics continues to produce innovative means of natural biological pest control for a wide range of consumers. Their product lineup ranges from environmentally friendly solutions to common garden and home pests to biological powerhouses used in professional agriculture and at racetracks. 

Gardening Again After a Flood

2025 has been a banner year for floods, and their destruction has been almost unfathomable. Here in the U.S., we were shocked and saddened by the Central Texas floods and their devastating death toll, but ruinous flooding has been happening all over the world. Large swaths of Africa have been severely affected, and Brazil has had its worst-ever floods. Pakistan, India, and China are no strangers to flooding, but even they have had bigger, stronger, and more frequent floods.  While dealing with such natural disasters is a nearly impossible task, dealing with flooding in your garden is very manageable. 

Where to begin: 

The only actions that can be taken while the water is still present are diversion or pumping it out, both of which can be impractical at best in an active flood situation. It is best to stay out of floodwaters; they can be full of creatures as well as organic (think sewage) and non-organic contaminants. Fire Ants, for instance, form rafts of many thousands of individuals to escape floodwaters, and you do not want to bump into one of those! Watch them in action here.

Once the water is gone: 

If there is trash, tree, or plant debris, you will want to get that out of your space. If you have flood-
deposited soil, you’ll have to decide if it should be removed. Although as little as one inch of silt can kill a lawn and only a few inches can kill a tree, removing the silt may not be the best idea. Adding and removing soil can be very hard work, is quite costly, puts you in danger of handling contaminants, and is damaging to the soil (more on that below). It might be best to simply scrape residue away from some of the bigger plants and start all over.

Assess your soil: 

Whatever you do, do not work wet soil – it can cause serious damage to the soil structure. Wet soil can easily become compressed, which can lead to compaction and drainage issues when it dries. Wait at least several days to weeks before digging, and if you plan to rototill, the recommended wait time is 90 days. You will want to determine how your soil biology held up to all the water. Soil microbes are an essential part of a healthy soil, and they need oxygen. If the soil is submerged overly long, water displaces the oxygen in it, and beneficial microorganisms can suffocate and die. Anaerobic microbes, which do not need oxygen, may take their place. A foul-smelling soil is an excellent indicator that this has happened and that the soil needs to be brought back to a healthy balance before any planting is done.

Plant viability:

 How your plants are affected by flooding depends on many factors: the length of time they were
underwater, what kind of plants they are, where they are in their lifecycle, the time of year it is, and the type of water that flooded. Warm-weather flooding will affect plants more than flooding that occurs when plants are dormant in chilly weather. Salt water will be much more damaging to most plants than will fresh water. Determining the condition of your plants can be tricky, as symptoms can take weeks and even years to appear. Vegetables and flowering annuals will show symptoms before trees and shrubs. Damage caused by flooding mirrors common disease problems, so the root cause is often unclear. If you have questions, contact your local Cooperative Extension to get expert information on your specific area. Here is a link to find the one nearest to you.

Vegetable gardens:

 First off, any produce that has gone through a flood should not be eaten. This is an EPA
recommendation, and it makes good sense. With all the unknowns in floodwater, it is the only way to be sure you are not ingesting contaminants. With fruiting vegetables, any fruit on them during the flood needs to be discarded, but whatever grows later should be fine. If you wish to err on the side of caution, wash those fruits thoroughly and plant a non-edible crop for a season.

What to do before replanting: 

As with all planting, start with your soil. A soil test is highly recommended after flooding. Water is notoriously good at leaching nutrients from soil, so even a minor water issue can affect what you’re planting in. If a soil test is not for you, you should still amend your soil and lightly fertilize (no heavy fertilizer while the plant struggles to come back). You can’t go wrong with the following: Apply BioAct SD to chew through organic material; use products like ROOT, EM-1, SCD BioAg or Mikrobs to return to a healthy microbial balance; add Earthworm Castings and, when the new plants are in, fertilize with Arber Soil and Root Food or any of our other excellent fertilizers; see our full range here.

Bear in mind that fungal diseases are common after floods, and they are best controlled by applying proactively; so, plan to treat as soon as you can. Cease would be a top-notch choice for this job, or choose another of our fine products on our Fungicides page.

Submitted by Pam 

Now is Time to Transition to and Plant a Fall Garden!

Recent surveys show that approximately 40% of Americans grow their own fruits and vegetables. 

These surveys aren’t counting the massive farms and orchards that make sure you have sweet corn and apples. Instead, that statistic reflects an increasing number of hobby growers, which range from gardeners watching over a single tomato plant on their patio to individuals with a small greenhouse in their backyard. After the COVID-19 pandemic upended cultural norms and turned grocery shopping into an unexpected ordeal, many Americans looked into growing their own produce. And like the endless proliferation of Zoom calls in an office job, this uptick in home produce growing looks to be here to stay.

 

Many staple fruits and vegetables are harvested in the summer. Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a whole gamut of berries are easy for hobby growers to nurture. But what happens once you’ve harvested your own strawberries and marveled at how fresh they taste? Do you just toss out the soil and tuck the pot into a corner of your garage? You could, but there’s still plenty of growing season left for some fall vegetables. Lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, and various other leafy greens and root vegetables do well and can tolerate cooling temperatures. While pumpkins are certainly associated with fall, they’re actually planted earlier in the summer (think May) as they take a minimum of 90 days to mature and are very sensitive to cold.

 

Once you’ve harvested your summer produce, remove the remaining plant from the soil. Take this time to thoroughly weed the area too. If you have a compost pile, you can add the leftover leaves, stems, and roots to it as long as they do not show signs of disease.

 

Interested in composting? Check out ARBICO Organics’ composting supplies for starters, supplies, and vermiculture.

 

The next step is to tend to the soil. Summer vegetables and fruits tend to take a lot of nutrients out of the soil, and those nutrients need to be replenished for fall vegetables to take root and thrive. Start by turning the top six inches of soil to ensure that it is properly aerated. If you have the aforementioned compost pile, dip into it and spread some on the newly turned soil now. Finally, add mulch to maintain moisture and to smooth out the turned soil.

When it comes to fall gardening, it is important to always be aware of the first frost date. Thankfully, this date is only a quick Google search away. Once you’ve established the first frost, check the “Days to Maturity” on your seed packets. If you have enough time until the first frost (I personally recommend adding an extra week or two as a buffer), now is the time to plant! Vegetables like spinach and

radishes tend to grow quickly, and Brussel sprouts actually sweeten after a patchy frost. It’s important to realize that as the days grow shorter, there is naturally less sunlight, which in turn causes plants to grow slower.

If you’re looking to get one last harvest in before winter brings snow and cold, August is the last realistic month for planting. Don’t dawdle and we wish you the best of harvests! - Robin @ ARBICO Organics

 

ARBICO Organics was founded in 1979 in Arizona. Over 40 years later, ARBICO Organics continues to produce innovative means of natural biological pest control, disease management, and organic grow supplements for hobbyists and professionals alike.

Keep Plant Diseases from Spreading

Summer will soon be upon us and many gardeners have already gotten a jump on the growing season. As the weather gets warmer, the chance of contracting diseases increases, so now is the time to start thinking about disease threats. Once you notice black spots, white spots, or signs of rot in your plants, you’ll need to act fast. Expert gardeners don’t waste time patching up plants that have already succumbed to disease. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Let’s dive into both how to treat plants that have succumbed to disease and how to prevent black spot, blight, mildew, and more from affecting your garden.

Biorational controls are safe, eco-friendly means to protect your plants from diseases. They don’t include harsh chemicals, striking a perfect balance between stopping diseases while being gentle to beneficial pollinators, soil microbes nd the plants you wish to protect. You'll want to introduce biorational solutions to your garden before diseases appear. However, if you’re reading this article in a panic while mildew spreads through your tomato crop, it's not too late. Just start treatment as soon as possible. We’ll cover preventative measures for three of the most common plant diseases: black spot, blight, and powdery mildew.

BLACK SPOT

Black Spot is a type of disease that’s famous for maligning roses, but it can infect a wide variety of garden plants. You’ll find that black spot is most potent during the long, hot and humid days of summer. Special care should be taken if you have an extended period (several hours) of rain followed by humid, muggy weather. These are the ideal conditions for black spot. As the name implies, black spot manifests as circular black or dark brown spots (¼ inch or larger) with ragged or fringed edges. The disease will first appear on older growth near the roots of the plants then will spread upward. The leaves displaying spots will yellow before falling from the plant.

To treat a plant infected with black spot, you’ll need to prune the infected leaves and dispose of them. If you compost (and this goes for all diseases), never put infected material into your compost pile. Burn the infected material instead. If that’s not feasible, stuff the infected leaves into your trash and let your local garbage service take them away.

To prevent black spot from infecting your garden, examine how you are watering your plants. Try to only water at the root and not directly onto the leaves and flowers. You can also use a spray like Arber® Bio Protectant to increase a plant’s resistance to fungal infection. This particular product uses a unique blend of giant knotwood extract that boosts protein production and disease resilience.

BLIGHT

Late Blight on Tomato Plant

Blight is an umbrella of diseases characterized by a quick spread time and a similar progression. Blight can affect any type of plant, be it indoor or outdoor, and can be caused by bacteria or fungi. Due to the many types of blight, the first step to treating it is to identify which one has invaded your garden.

Here are some general tips on how to prevent blight from devastating your plants:

• If you’re planting annuals, rotate them each year - don’t plant the same species in the same spot year after year.
  
• Make sure your garden is weed free.
• Keep an eye out for tears and abrasions in your plants - bacterial blights can enter the plant in these incisions. 
• Be careful not to overwater your plants.

Powdery Mildew on Zucchini Plant

POWDERY MILDEW

Powdery Mildew is a frustratingly common disease that infuriates hobbyists and professionals alike. Like many common names for diseases, powdery mildew is a bit of an umbrella term for a variety of similar fungal infections. This disease targets a wide variety of common garden vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and squash. However, powdery mildew is typically not fatal to the plant and can be easily treated once identified.

If you see white or gray spots on your plant leaves, that’s a sure sign of powdery mildew. BONIDE® Sulfur Plant Fungicide controls mildew by preventing germination, so it’s more preventive than punitive. However, it’s still a good option to stop the spread of mildew while you work to eradicate it. Organic JMS Stylet Oil is an organic fungicide that kills powdery mildew on contact and prevents further propagation for 10 days after application. Make it a habit to remove dead plant matter from your growing area, especially if you’re in a shaded area with little air flow.

Don't let plant diseases overtake your garden this coming summer. Late spring is the best time to stay diligent and prevention is key! Get a head start with our plant disease prevention products and happy growing!

Grant @ ARBICO Organics 

 

Timing Soil Inputs

Getting your soil right for planting can often leave many growers scratching their heads in confusion. There are numerous options available on the market and knowing when to add inputs to your soil is crucial.

Let’s explore the “WHENs” of soil inputs:

When to test the soil

Before you plant a single seed or buy a product, you need to know what’s going on beneath the surface. A soil test can tell you what your soil lacks or has too much of. Getting soil tests in the fall after harvest or early spring allows you to correct imbalances way ahead of planting time. Testing early gives you time to understand your soil’s nutrient profile, pH, and organic matter content.

For cannabis and other nutrient-hungry crops, regular testing (at least once per season) helps guide mid-season inputs, especially before flowering. Other growers may only need to get their soil tested every three years.

When to add fertilizers and amendments

Whether you want the greenest lawn in the neighborhood or a lush garden this year, adding fertilizers and other soil amendments can make all the difference. Once you have your soil test results back, you’ll be able to make the right fertilizer choices for your particular soil and plants.

You can apply slow-releasing fertilizers in the fall or spring to provide consistent nutrients over time. If you notice that your plants are weak and yellowing, you may need to give them a boost with a fast-acting fertilizer. This can be done every 3-4 weeks during the growing season. However, be cautious when applying fast-acting fertilizers, as they can cause damage and even kill your plants.

Apply any additional soil amendments, such as compost, manure, rock dust, or other minerals, based on your soil test results. You can do this before you start planting or top dress throughout the growing season as needed.

When to add microbial inoculants

There are a number of microbial inoculants you can add to your soil from biofertilizers to biostimulants. However, it’s always best to apply them at the beginning of the growing season so the microbials have enough time to colonize the root zone early and form symbiotic relationships as roots begin to grow.

For transplants, it’s ideal to apply inoculants directly to the root ball or into the planting hole, ensuring close contact with the roots. In systems where the soil has been tilled or disturbed, you’ll want to reapply your inoculants to reestablish the colonies. Growers should also consider reapplying inoculants after using fungicides or sterilizing agents that may kill or reduce the microbes in or on the soil.

In cannabis cultivation, microbial inoculants are particularly valuable during the cloning and transplanting phases. Mycorrhizal fungi can significantly enhance phosphorus uptake and improve stress tolerance, both of which are critical for strong vegetative growth and successful flowering later on. Because these organisms thrive in moist, aerated soils, timing applications with irrigation can also help them establish more effectively.

When to add Beneficial Nematodes

Pests under the soil are often the most challenging. Luckily for growers, they can add an exceptional underground ally-beneficial nematodes-to support their operations. Beneficial nematodes should be applied in when the soil temperatures are between 42°F – 95°F. The warmer the soil, the more active the nematodes, and the greater the protection and results. Also, avoid applying them during dry spells or in full sunlight, as UV rays and dehydration can cause them to die quickly. Water the soil before and after application to help them establish.

Knowing when to apply the nematodes depends on what pest you are trying to control. For example, if you're targeting fungus gnat larvae in greenhouse cannabis or vegetable production, it's best to apply nematodes early in the season or just after transplanting, just before adult gnats start laying eggs. If you're managing root-knot nematodes or root weevils in perennial systems, applications are most effective in late spring when larvae are actively feeding near the root zone. In turfgrass or pasture settings, nematodes targeting white grubs should be applied in late summer or early fall, when young larvae are close to the soil surface and most vulnerable.

Each pest has a specific life cycle stage that’s most susceptible to nematode predation. Proper timing ensures that beneficial nematodes find their targets before they cause significant damage, and before they retreat deeper into the soil where nematodes are less effective.

Final Thoughts

Treat your soil right, and you’ll reap huge benefits in the end. Improving the soil won’t happen overnight, as great soil health starts long before you plant your first seed. By testing your soil early, timing inputs to match plant growth stages, and using biology-based inputs like microbes and nematodes, you set your crop up for long-term success.

So, don’t just feed your soil. Observe and listen to it.  It might just tell you exactly what you need.