Frequently asked questions

Shipping is free on orders over $75 to the lower 48 states. Orders under $75 ship at a flat standard rate, and you will see the exact cost at checkout before you pay. Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and other countries are calculated by weight at checkout.

Most orders ship the same or next business day. Liquid cultures, agar plates and colonized grain spawn are made fresh on a rolling schedule and usually go out within one business day as well.

We ship with UPS, FedEx and USPS. Heavier packages usually go by ground service, and lighter ones by USPS Priority Mail. Every package is discreetly labeled, and you will get tracking by email once it ships.

Yes. Faster services such as 2-day and overnight are offered at checkout when they are available for your address and the items in your cart.

Pallets and large equipment such as commercial flow hoods and autoclaves ship by LTL freight truck. The carrier will call to schedule a delivery window, so please include a phone number with your order. Anything else in the same order ships separately by parcel.

Freight orders that cannot be delivered are subject to a 15% restocking fee.

Yes. Choose Local Pickup (Woodstock, IL) at checkout. Please contact us before you come so we can have your order ready. Our Crystal Lake address is for mail only and is not a pickup location.

We ship to Canada, and shipping is calculated at checkout. For other countries, please contact us before ordering so we can confirm which items we can send and how.

Yes, as long as it has not shipped yet. Call us at (800) 659-0057 or email support@mycolabs.com with your order number, and wait for our cancellation confirmation. Since most orders ship the next business day, the sooner you reach out the better.

Every liquid culture, agar plate and colonized spawn bag is inspected before it ships. If something arrives contaminated, contact us within 5 days of delivery with a photo and we will send a free replacement.

Liquid culture syringes ship in insulated packaging year-round. From May through September, and for hot destinations, live products also get a free cold pack.

Refrigerate them at 35-45 F in the bag they shipped in, and never freeze them, since freezing kills the culture. Let a syringe come to room temperature and shake it well before you inject.

Keep pre-poured agar plates in the refrigerator and use them within 3-4 weeks. Colonized grain spawn is best used within about 90 days, and refrigerated at 35-40 F it can last around 120 days.

Liquid culture is living mycelium from an isolated culture, so it skips germination, colonizes faster and grows out the same way every time. Spores have to germinate and pair up first, which is slower and more variable. Our liquid cultures are first-generation isolated strains.

Each product page lists the right amount. As a rule, use a little more liquid culture than you would spores, and shake the syringe well first so the mycelium is spread evenly and every jar or bag gets its share.

We focus on isolated liquid cultures, agar plates and colonized spawn, and we do not sell spore syringes. For spores, we recommend Spore Genetics and Premium Spores.

Yes. With our cloning and isolation service, you send us a fresh sample with a prepaid label, and we clean, isolate and return it as a liquid culture syringe, agar plates or slants. It usually takes 14-21 days.

A still air box limits air movement and works well for occasional agar and grain transfers. A flow hood gives you a steady stream of HEPA-filtered air and more room to work, which matters as you do more transfers. See our flow hoods.

Plan on about 24 months for hobby use, 12-18 months for a busy lab, and 6-12 months for heavy use in a dusty space. A particle meter tells you when the filter is actually due. We carry replacement filters for Bonsai hoods.

Assembled Bonsai flow hoods carry a 3-year motor warranty. Bonsai fan filter units carry an 18-month warranty, and the blower in the DIY hood kit has a 1-year warranty.

Yes. We carry commercial flow hoods, fan filter units and autoclaves for small farms and labs. See sterilizers and flow hoods, or contact us for help choosing.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and PayPal.

Not at this time.

Non-perishable items in like-new condition and original packaging can be returned within 14 days of delivery. Contact us for a return authorization number first. Return shipping is paid by the buyer, so please use a carrier with tracking. Refunds go back to your original payment method within 2-3 business days after we receive the return.

Live and perishable products cannot be returned, but they are covered by our 5-day replacement guarantee. Read the full return policy.

Yes. We sell coir, Master's Mix and monotubs by the pallet, and we supply cultures and lab services to farms and resellers. Visit wholesale and lab services or contact us for a quote.

Yes. Email support@mycolabs.com or call (800) 659-0057. Most products come with printed instructions, and our product pages include step-by-step guides.

Yes. Book a 30 or 60 minute private consultation by video or phone, from your first grow to scaling a commercial operation. Email follow-up is included.

Myco Labs is a mycology lab in northern Illinois. Local pickup is in Woodstock, IL, and our mailing address is 60B W Terra Cotta St, STE 155, Crystal Lake, IL 60014.