Ladybug on leaf

Looking to start a pollinator garden?  Shop the Heights!

You can shop with confidence knowing that we have greatly reduced our pesticide use. Starting in 2016, we’ve been using beneficial insects to battle the pest species…and we’re happy to report: it’s working!

This prevents a species from becoming invasive

The success of the program (known as integrated pest management) has kept us 80% insecticide free this spring!  This not only limits human exposure to insecticides, but we see populations of native beneficial insects like praying mantises making a comeback.  Another side benefit: we hosted honey bee hive in partnership with Felicia Chavez from “La BeeDa Loca”! The hive was here spring through fall of 2016.

How does it work?

Every week shipments of our tiniest employees arrive in the mail and are released at the time best suited to their life cycles / habits.  Some insects even like being released with Christmas lights aglow!  From mites that control thrips larvae to aphid-eating ladybugs, these little guys clean their plates (our plants!)

An Entomologist based in Kentucky prescribes the insects we need, then a hatchery ships them to us directly.  Regulations allow the sale of native and exotic beneficial insects, but exotic species can only be sold where they won’t survive the winter.  This prevents a species from becoming invasive or too much of a good thing.

We’ve enjoyed learning about our insect ecosystem and thought you’d enjoy reading about what’s bugging us too!