Mosquito-control drone proposal resurfaces
The Flathead City-County Health Department will try for a second time to get its mosquito-control drone proposal off the ground.
The county commissioners on Monday will consider a $25,000 capital improvement budget amendment to pay for a remote-control piloted aircraft that has the ability to apply insecticide to trouble spots where mosquitoes tend to breed.
The commissioners will consider the budget request at 9:15 a.m. and will take public comments at 8:45 a.m.
In December the commissioners rejected the proposal, with Commissioner Gary Krueger saying he wanted to review the county’s policies for aerial application.
The Health Department initially requested $16,478 for the program. County Health Officer Hillary Hanson said the cost has increased due to higher shipping costs and the initial proposed aircraft has been replaced by a new version with upgraded features. The drone now considered includes an obstacle avoidance radar, improved flight sensors and a ground radar that ensures the drone stays at a consistent altitude above the ground.
The county used drone technology for mosquito surveillance for the first time last summer. The device was used to monitor flood-prone areas to gauge the amount of standing water.
Hanson said the surveillance of larval habitats during the 2017 season using a drone was very successful in monitoring flooding and pinpointing sites that required physical inspection.
Flathead County Mosquito Control is registered with the Federal Aviation Administration and has a licensed drone pilot on staff.
Granulated larvacides and pupicides that target mosquitoes in the larval and pupal stages would be used if the application drone is approved, according to county Mosquito Control Technician Jake Rubow. They’re much less toxic than adulticides that control adult mosquito populations.
The drone would not fly over private land without permission, he said.
Target sites include areas of large open tracts, along with areas that are difficult to access from the ground and exert excessive wear on the county’s current equipment. Areas of dense brush and cattails, fallen trees and submerged stumps and logs cause wear and tear to county equipment, according to the proposal.
Using a drone for aerial surveillance and applications wouldn’t eliminate the need for inspections on foot, but would reduce the number of ground-based treatments required of workers.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.