Our Story — Orange Guard
The origin story

A father.
An Ant mound.
A better way.

Orange Guard wasn't born in a lab. It was born in a backyard in Carmel Valley, CA — by two hippies who refused to believe that keeping bugs out meant putting their family at risk.

30
Years in business
★★★★★
Highly Rated on Amazon
3
EPA-registered products
USA
Made in Marina, CA
Tor and Kathryn McPartland in the early days
The origin

"You shouldn't have to choose between protecting your home and protecting the people in it."

— Tor McPartland · Orange Guard Inc.

In the 1980s, Tor and Kathryn McPartland were living in their Carmel Valley, CA passive solar home — tending a garden, growing a vineyard, and having children. There was just one problem: they had unknowingly built their home on top of an ant farm.

For most people, that might mean a call to the exterminator. But Tor and Kathryn weren't most people. With two daughters, a pair of dogs, a cat, a deep love for their land, and a firm belief that nature didn't need to be fought with chemicals. They decided to find another way.

No degree. No lab. No corporate backing. Just a problem that needed solving and a family determined to solve it.

Tor started researching. Reading labels. Digging into what actually works — and why. That's when he read about d-Limonene: the natural oil inside orange peels. It's the compound that gives citrus its scent and is a natural pollinator. The FDA classifies it as Generally Recognized as Safe, and as it turns out, it's absolutely devastating to insects.

How it happened

From an ant mound to a
generational family business.

Early
1990s
The discovery
Tor discovers their Carmel Valley property is built on an ant farm. With two young daughters and pets running through the house, vineyard, and garden he'd spent years building, reaching for toxic chemicals wasn't an option. He starts researching natural alternatives — and finds d-Limonene, the natural oil found in orange peels.
The McPartland family, Carmel Valley early 1990s
Tor with his dogs in Carmel Valley, CA
The McPartland family, early days
Kathryn with her daughter in their garden
1998
The formula
Tor formulates a water-based solution using steam-distilled orange peel oil. It kills pests on contact and repels them long after. It smells like oranges and works like a charm. Orange Guard is born — the first all-natural, food-grade insecticide of its kind to reach the market — and the first bottle is sold.
The McPartland family, 1990s
Tor with his daughter in Carmel Valley, CA
Tor and Kathryn McPartland
Tor & Kathryn — the founders
Early
2000s
The credentials
Orange Guard earns EPA registration, FDA GRAS listing for all ingredients, and OMRI certification for organic use. The d-Limonene active ingredient receives FQPA exemption — meaning it can be used legally in kitchens and pantries.
The McPartland girls in the Carmel Valley garden
Tor's daughters in the garden
The McPartland family, California
California roots
30+
years
The same formula. A new chapter.
More than 30 years later, the formula hasn't changed. Orange Guard is still family-owned, made on the Central Coast of California, and still guided by the same values Tor and Kathryn began with. Those two daughters in the garden are now helping bring Orange Guard to the next generation and recently launched the first refreshed label since 1998.
The McPartland family today — Tor, Kathryn, and their daughters
The McPartland family
What we believe

The values behind
every bottle.

01
Family first, always
Orange Guard was made for families, by a family who didn't want to trade one problem for another. To this day, the people making decisions are the same people who created the product and continue to use it. That keeps us honest in a way that a corporation with shareholders never could be.
02
Nature knows best
We went natural before it was a trend. Every ingredient in Orange Guard is food-grade, biodegradable, and all natural. We didn't invent something new — we found something nature already perfected and put it to work. No synthetic chemicals. No nervous system disruption. No compromises.
03
Integrity over shortcuts
Same formula for 30+ years. Same family. Same California manufacturing. We've had every reason to cut corners and never once done it. The credentials — EPA, FDA GRAS, OMRI — aren't marketing. They're proof of a promise kept, year after year.
Tor McPartland · Inventor

"We're on a mission to provide the most effective, sustainable, and organic pest control product on the planet — pure and simple."

Orange Guard Inc. · Family-owned since the early 1990s · Made in Marina, California
EPA Registered FDA GRAS Listed OMRI Certified Made in USA
Try it yourself

30 years of proof.
Ready for your home.

The same formula Tor invented in Carmel Valley. Still made in Marina, California. Still family-owned. Still the only all-natural pest control that's food-grade, OMRI certified, and proven for over three decades.

Shop Orange Guard How It Works
★★★★★
Customer since 1997 — 28 years

"Orange Guard has been in our home through kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and great-great-grandkids. It works — and it's all-natural around children and pets."

Verified Amazon Customer · Family home · 28-year customer