Neonicotinoid Use at Our Nature Hills Nurseries

Nature Hills does our best to produce plants that are healthy, disease and insect-free. By using the best nursery practices to reduce insects or disease and using fewer pesticides and fertilizers than ever before, we are delivering healthier products to our customers. 

Our business (as you might guess) involves shipping plants from our nurseries to homeowners across the country, and across state lines. Interstate shipping has many regulations in place so that nurseries are not moving disease or insects into areas that do not have that pest, virus, or disease problem. Fortunately, we have a set of regulations to abide by which are provided by the states to prevent the movement of these pests, diseases and organisms.  

These regulations help prevent these things from becoming invasive or causing problems in your area. Please know that every single plant that is grown in a container is required by State Agricultural Law to be treated before it is shipped into another state, or we would not be allowed to transfer it across state lines. 

So, to answer your question, yes - our nurseries treat our plants. 

Nature Hills uses fewer pesticides and balances our impact by:

  • Proprietary Plant Sentry™ Compliance software

  • The use of cover crops

  • Increased spacing

  • More cultivation 

  • Installed acres of pollinator gardens

  • Attract bees and beneficial insects to areas that are completely untreated

  • Installed our own beehives to help with bee populations 

  • Only apply pesticides during times honeybees and beneficial pollinators are non-active


All eliminating the use of many chemicals used in the fields at our nurseries. 

Once you plant our plants, you yourself will not have to use any chemicals, allowing you to restore normalcy to the environment, while keeping the bees and beneficial insects happy and healthy. 

Residual effects of the chemical applications we use are minimal, and they break down very quickly after exposure to the sun and water. If we were a small, local grower, then we could be organic and Neonicotinoid-free. 

Also, see our line of Audubon® Neonicotinoid-free plants that are available. And to grow organically at home, check out these organic fertilizers and pest control products at NatureHills.com.