Let’s face it: running yourself ragged trying to catch a hyper-specific Legendary bug or waiting for that one rare fish shadow to spawn in Fields of Mistria can test the patience of even the most dedicated cozy gamer. Enter the Terrarium—your ultimate shortcut to completing the museum and reeling in the big ones. This functional piece of farm equipment allows you to essentially sacrifice unwanted bugs to generate Bug Pheromones and Fish Bait, letting you spawn the exact rarity of critter you need on demand.
If you want to optimize your farm and stop relying purely on RNG, here is everything you need to know to get your Terrarium operation up and running.
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The Terrarium: Quick Reference Overview
| Feature | Details |
| Unlock Requirement | Reach Ruby Town Rank and trigger the “Apiaries and Terrariums” quest. |
| Quest Objective | Collect and ship 20 bugs via your Shipping Bin. |
| Crafting Level | Woodcrafting Level 10. |
| Crafting Materials | 25 Wood, 5 Glass, 5 Sod, 4 Iron Ingots. |
| Production Cycle | Place 4 bugs inside, wait 3 days, and provide a requested item. |
| Output | Bug Pheromones or Fish Bait (Common, Uncommon, Rare, or Legendary). |
Image via NPC Studio
Step 1: Unlocking the Blueprint
You can’t just build a Terrarium on day one. You will first need to progress your town’s standing until you hit the Ruby Town Rank. Once you do, you will receive a letter from Luc proposing a new project.
Head over to the Inn to meet with Luc, Adeliene, and Reina. They will inform you that the capital is willing to grant Mistria the use of terrariums, provided you can meet a simple quota: collect and ship 20 bugs of any rarity. Catch the bugs with your Net, toss them into your Shipping Bin, and wait for the next day. Pro Tip: Only ship your common bugs for this quest; horde your rare ones for the actual Terrariums later!.
The following day, track down Adeline in the Manor. She will hand over the blueprints, alongside your very first Terrarium and an Apiary for free.
Step 2: Crafting Your Bug Farm
With the blueprint secured, you can immediately start mass-producing Terrariums, provided you have hit Woodcrafting level 10.
Each Terrarium takes 40 in-game minutes to craft and has a base sell price of 710t. You will need to gather the following resources per unit:
- Wood (25)
- Glass (5)
- Sod (5)
- Iron Ingot (4)
Once built, simply place the Terrariums outside on your farm to begin operations.
Step 3: Producing Pheromones and Bait
To fire up the machine, you need to place four bugs of the exact same rarity inside the Terrarium. Note that Bees are excluded from this process, as they are meant for the Apiary instead.
Once loaded, wait three in-game days. Before you can collect your random yield of Bug Pheromones or Fish Bait, the bugs will request a specific gift—such as a Morel Mushroom—in exchange for the goods.
Step 4: Reeling Them In
Now that you have your consumables, it’s time to force the spawns:
Bug Pheromones: Use these on any open ground to instantly summon a random bug that matches the rarity of the pheromone used. You can even use them down in the mines.
Fish Bait: Stand facing any body of water and use the bait to immediately summon a fish shadow of the corresponding rarity. Alternatively, you can place the bait directly into the Fish Trap located on the western side of the beach.
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FAQs
Q: Is it worth using Legendary bugs to make bait?
A: Yes, if you are struggling to find a specific Legendary catch. By placing 4 Legendary bugs into the Terrarium, you guarantee that the resulting Pheromone or Bait will summon a Legendary tier critter.
Q: I placed 4 bees in the Terrarium and nothing is happening. Is it bugged?
A: Bees cannot be used in the Terrarium to produce Fish Bait or Bug Pheromones. You need to place your bees inside the Apiary to craft Honey instead.
Q: Can I just sell the Pheromones if I don’t need to catch anything?
A: You can, but it isn’t the most lucrative hustle. Common Bug Pheromones sell for 25t, Uncommon for 50t, Rare for 75t, and Legendary for 100t. You are generally better off using them to catch bugs for the museum or higher-selling items.
