Our Story...

Sterling Insectary was established in 1994 to raise predatory mites for a 4th generation California family farm, Billings Ranches. Matt Billings began growing the mites in order to have an unlimited supply of western predatory mites and to reduce pesticide use in the family’s almond orchards. The predatory mites were (and are) very effective at controlling pest mites including the Two-spotted, Pacific, and Willamette spider mites.Fellow farmers and neighbors started to ask if they could get these voracious predators for their orchards, too. Matt sold the first order of western predatory mites in 1996, and the company has been growing ever since.

Our customers are not only in the state of California but extend throughout the U.S. They grow a large variety of products including nuts, grapes, pome fruits, stone fruits, cucurbits, ornamentals, cut flowers, berries, and more.Some are in field settings and others are in greenhouses or hoop houses. At Sterling, we want to continuously expand our product lines to meet the needs of our customers and to further biological control of pests.

A full-time Entomologist is on-staff and on-site to answer any questions on insects and mites our customers may have. Also, we work with an orchard consulting company that has 25 years of experience with mites, along with University of California professors and extension agents to further agricultural research, and growers who can share invaluable, real-life field experience.

Sterling Insectary is committed to producing and selling high quality predatory mites and beneficial insects. We want to help growers to be competitive in the global market by keeping pest pressure low and by reducing or eliminating pesticide use. Our new insectary facility in McFarland, CA will be complete in the spring of 2005 so please feel free to give us a call or come by for a visit.