An insect control program in the Okanagan for three decades is reaching for the heavens.
The sterile insect release program used to pamper moths in apple orchards is now being switched to drones to distribute the sterile moths.
“The flight that will serve this orchard will be about seven or eight minutes,” said Michelle Cook, spokeswoman for the SIR program.
That’s less than a third of the time it takes an ATV to make the rounds.
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Then a small snail regularly spills them as it moves around the orchard at a height of about 30 meters.
The program sterilizes pampering moths and releases them into orchards where they mate with wild pampering moths.
It reduces the presence of the pests by around 90% while reducing the use of chemicals.
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In order to start the new drone program, SIR employees had to be trained and certified to operate the drones according to the rules set by Transport Canada.
“We’re drone pilots,” said Cook, grinning. “It was great and it was definitely a learning experience. We have a lot of fun learning to fly the drones.”
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