What We’ve Learned About EpiShield—And Why It’s Earning Its Place on the Shelf
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What We’ve Learned About EpiShield—And Why It’s Earning Its Place on the Shelf
At GrowersHouse, we’ve tried just about everything to help cultivators control mites, aphids, thrips, and more—especially when it comes to staying compliant, keeping plants healthy, and not gunking up flower or equipment with oily residues. So when BioWorks released EpiShield, a 25(b) essential oil-based miticide and insecticide, we had to give it a solid run—and so did many of our customers.
Spoiler: It’s a lot more than a “natural” solution. EpiShield has quickly become one of our favorite go-to tools for integrated pest management (IPM)—especially in cannabis and high-touch crops. Here’s what we’ve learned from using it ourselves and what our customers have reported back.
What’s Inside: The Actives and the Advantage
EpiShield is made from a blend of peppermint oil (15%), clove oil (10%), and sodium lauryl sulfate (3%). That combination sounds gentle—but it works hard. The way it works isn’t just suffocation (though that’s part of it). It also impacts pests by:
- ● Disrupting nervous systems
● Repelling pests and reducing feeding
● Preventing egg-laying
● Drying out soft-bodied insects like aphids and mites
It’s labeled as a 25(b) exempt product, which means no REI (Restricted Entry Interval), no PHI (Pre-Harvest Interval), and no pesticide residue reporting. For us and our customers, this flexibility is huge—especially during flowering, or when harvest is just around the corner.
From the Growers: What They’re Seeing in the Field
We’ve heard from cultivators across the board—indoor, outdoor, hemp, greenhouse—and the reviews are consistent:
- ● Cannabis Aphids? Gone. In a hemp trial, three treatments of EpiShield wiped out over 80% of aphids at just 0.1% solution strength. Growers say
the plant bounce-back is fast, and the lack of oil residue keeps the buds looking great.
● Thrips in Veg? Cleared Fast. One customer running cucumbers reported an 84% reduction in western flower thrips after three foliar sprays.
Compared to a traditional horticultural oil that got 65%, EpiShield pulled ahead—and with significantly less product.
● Spider Mites? Surprisingly Effective. Even in high-pressure mite situations (like we’ve seen on greenhouse beans and cannabis), EpiShield at 0.1% delivered over 90% mortality, without torching foliage or stunting plant growth.
Across the board, we haven’t heard any major phytotoxicity complaints—even when growers pushed the rates a bit or sprayed multiple times during early flower.
How We Apply It (and How You Should Too)
We’ve experimented with EpiShield in both foliar and dip applications. Here’s what works best based on our hands-on use and what growers have shared:
🧴 Foliar Application Tips
● Mix Rate: 9–12 fl oz per 100 gallons (0.07–0.1%)
● Timing: Start as soon as pests appear; apply every 5–7 days
● Coverage: Spray until leaves glisten (top and bottom), but avoid runoff
● Best Practice: Avoid spraying during high heat or humidity; dry plants within 2 hours
If you're flowering, cut off foliar use at full bloom just to be safe—but we’ve had success spraying up to Day 14 in flower without residue issues.
🌱 Dip Application Tips (for Cuttings)
● Mix Rate: 0.09 fl oz per gallon (0.07%)
● Timing: 10–30 second dip for unrooted cuttings or foliage
● Agitation: Keep the dip solution mixed and fresh throughout the day
● Warning: Don’t use on wilted/stressed plants, and avoid mixing with oil-based products
We like using the dip method in propagation, especially when introducing clones
into a clean environment. Some of our growers said it noticeably reduces the
pest load during transplant.
Why We Keep It Stocked
What we like about EpiShield is how versatile it is. It's not just a replacement for HMOs—it’s a complement. Traditional oils are great for knockdown, but when you want targeted application, no REI, and clean flower, EpiShield fits the bill. We also love it as a tool in resistance management. Rotating EpiShield into your program gives you a different mode of action that helps avoid the dreaded “super mite” or aphid rebound that comes from overusing one type of chemistry.
Final Take: Is EpiShield Worth Trying?
If you're growing high-value crops and want to keep your pest control tight without compromising harvest quality or safety, we think EpiShield is 100% worth testing. It's clean, easy to apply, effective, and based on what we’ve seen—it plays nicely with your IPM toolkit.
Start small, test it on a few rows or trays, and dial in your intervals. We’re confident you’ll start to see the difference fast.
👉 Shop EpiShield at GrowersHouse.com »
Got your own experience with EpiShield? Let us know—we’re always looking to share real grower feedback to help the community grow smarter.