Dropping ant sand or insect repellent with consumer drone

[raytaylor]

Hi All

I have a dji mavic 3, mavic pro and mini 3 and about twice a year i need to go to a few hilltop sites to drop some ant sand / ant bait around some solar panels and electronic equipment.

Does anyone know of a drop device mod that would allow me to fly around and sprinkle the ant sand around the site remotely?
It would save me having to ride my quad bike up the hill.

Its definitely not worth buying one of the farming models of drones that drop commercial quantities of fertilizer or sprays. Imagine needing to drop about half a cup of sugar granules in a paddock about 1km away.

I am keen to hear your ideas.

 

[Cafguy]

In the U.S. You would need a part 107 and a part 137 (Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate) to even get the paperwork going to get permission to do that.
You would also need a Pesticide applicators license from the state that you plan to do that in.
You will need to have in your possession at all times the MSDS sheets for any chemical on board the drone (Don't forget the batteries they have chems too!) and the emergency numbers for that area..These must be in a place that makes them available to anyone passing by or living in the area. ( You will need some sort of information board near where you flying ).
You must follow the manufacturers label for mixing and application of the chemicals *TO THE LETTER* OR it could be considered as "off-Label use" and that is a Federal crime!
Finally and most importantly......The law states that the pesticide MUST be labeled as safe for aerial distribution FROM A DRONE specifically. If not, You alone and NOT the chemical manufacturer faces any liability for the pesticides use.
I don't know about New Zealand but my guess is the laws are much more strict than they are here.

 

[raytaylor]

I should clarify - USA laws dont apply here.
Lets work on the assumption i can legally fly up to 25kg (yes thats approx 50 lbs) and am using residential products.
However am only applying about a quarter to half a cup (about 5 ounces) much less than you would typically apply at home in the garden.

 

[Cafguy]

Even in your country the label must say its safe for distribution FROM A DRONE.
and you CANNOT mix them in any way except how it is stated on the label.
Your country requires a part 102 certificate.
New Zealand also requires you to have on file with the UAOC a detailed "exposition" to the CAA outlining your operating procedures and how you will manage risks.
Also in New Zealand you will still need a pesticide applicators license AND a UAV Agricultural Rating.
If what you are gonna spray is NOT labeled for what you are doing.......... YOU CANNOT SPRAY IT.

residential products.

You cannot spray residential pesticides from a drone unless it states specifically on the label.
If I were you I would check with the local authorities. Reading up on this I now see that the rules in New Zealand are VERY strict about this sort of thing and If I were you I would do my homework carefully.

 

[AMann]

Even ant bait that uses simple borax as the active ingredient is a regulated pesticide in New Zealand, the EU, and the US.

If you are using something with a pesticide and get all of the above suggestions in order, there are fishing bait and other types of remote controlled drop units for drones you can purchase on Amazon that work with your drone’s landing light as a trigger. You could modify one of those to drop granules of your “special ant food”, but do follow the rules if you do it. As mentioned, you don’t want to hurt yourself or others by improperly dispensing toxic substances.

 

[Cafguy]

Thats a thought! I didnt think of the non-pesticide spin, There would be nothing wrong with doing that on your own.

 

[AMann]

Thats a thought! I didnt think of the non-pesticide spin, There would be nothing wrong with doing that on your own.

Unfortunately, I found that Borax baits (like Terro) are regulated and edited my post above. I do like using it in the house though because it is pretty innocuous compared to other stuff that people spray indoors.

It’s good you posted that regulatory information, it would be terrible to encourage somebody that it’s OK to do something and then they get busted for it later.

 

[Cafguy]

Unfortunately, I found that Borax baits (like Terro) are regulated and edited my post above. I do like using it in the house though because it is pretty innocuous compared to other stuff that people spray indoors.

It’s good you posted that regulatory information, it would be terrible to encourage somebody that it’s OK to do something and then they get busted for it later.

I think (like myself) a bunch of new drone pilots come to this site to learn and research their new hobby. I do my best to get the facts. I am not always right and that can be a good thing, by opening up conversations from wiser pilots.
I will tell New pilots simply that the Drone police are not hiding everywhere in the bushes and as far as that goes if you ever meet an FAA rep. it will be because you invited them over.
You are your own judge and jury for now. Be a good steward of the hobby and stay within the law. If you are a responsible pilot you will enjoy (HOPEFULLY) Years of trouble free flights. BUT if you are caught doing things against the regulations, it will cost you quite a bit, and in some cases more than you can afford.
Seek answers if your unsure if what you are doing can actually be done legally.
The OP is asking about spreading poisons by aerial distribution! The rules to be qualified to do things like that are there to protect those downwind from those activities and also prevent you from having to call a Haz-Mat team out to dig up polluted soil (pricey!).
Not to mention if caught gosh knows how many EPA type government reps would come calling with a fine!
I hope the OP does not feel like I was calling them out. The OP asked an interesting question and I answered it with the facts I could find on the subject...Nothing more.

 

[MS Coast]

I will tell New pilots simply that the Drone police are not hiding everywhere in the bushes and as far as that goes if you ever meet an FAA rep. it will be because you invited them over.

Yep.

Not to mention if caught gosh knows how many EPA type government reps would come calling with a fine!

Can anyone cite an example of EPA enforcement personnel ever visiting an individual over improper use of ant poison or any other infraction, for that matter.

 

[AMann]

Yep.

Can anyone cite an example of EPA enforcement personnel ever visiting an individual over improper use of ant poison or any other infraction, for that matter.

A coworker and I helped bust some farm workers back in the 80’s for spreading seed laced with strychnine (anti-coagulant) around an alfalfa field for rabbit control. The seed was not dyed blue, nor was it covered in bait tubes, which is a requirement to prevent protected migratory birds from eating it. We found a dozen long billed curlews that were dead in the same area because they ate the seed. The birds were piled up in the bushes near the field. The farm workers were cited by Fish & Wildlife wardens.

Also a short Google search, pointing out that several children have died from wrongfully applied phosphide pesticides by exterminators

Read more at: Pesticide implicated in death of children - Red Deer Advocate

 

[AMann]

I think (like myself) a bunch of new drone pilots come to this site to learn and research their new hobby. I do my best to get the facts. I am not always right and that can be a good thing, by opening up conversations from wiser pilots.
I will tell New pilots simply that the Drone police are not hiding everywhere in the bushes and as far as that goes if you ever meet an FAA rep. it will be because you invited them over.
You are your own judge and jury for now. Be a good steward of the hobby and stay within the law. If you are a responsible pilot you will enjoy (HOPEFULLY) Years of trouble free flights. BUT if you are caught doing things against the regulations, it will cost you quite a bit, and in some cases more than you can afford.
Seek answers if your unsure if what you are doing can actually be done legally.
The OP is asking about spreading poisons by aerial distribution! The rules to be qualified to do things like that are there to protect those downwind from those activities and also prevent you from having to call a Haz-Mat team out to dig up polluted soil (pricey!).
Not to mention if caught gosh knows how many EPA type government reps would come calling with a fine!
I hope the OP does not feel like I was calling them out. The OP asked an interesting question and I answered it with the facts I could find on the subject...Nothing more.

I think it was good that you looked up the info for them, sorry if It seemed that I was implying to them to do it anyway, that’s not how I meant my post to read. I read some bad info about the borax thing and corrected it after a more thorough review. This forum is about helping people, which you did.

 

[raytaylor]

I'm not going to start down the process of regulatory requirements unless it can be technically achieved.
@Cafguy i very much do appreciate your insight there.
Yes it is possible to achieve regulatory compliance for spraying pesticides via drone - its a growing industry here. But those details are for a separate discussion in a different non-hardware mod subforum.

I am really only interested in the technical aspect at the moment.
I dont really want to go down a tangent of regulatory discussion and start that research as it would be a wasted endeavour unless there is a way found to technically achieve the goal.

 

[raytaylor]

@AMann i think you might be on to something there.
I have found some reasonably well priced strap-on light triggered drop systems that use the lights that you mention.
However the tricky part is designing a simple mechanism that can use that as a base starting point, which will still remain attached to the drone but release the granules without getting clogged.

At the moment I am thinking of a typical mid-sized funnel used for automotive purposes, with some sort of plug and suspended below the drone.
When the release command is sent, a weight is released, and drops a fishing sinker with limited travel, which pulls out the plug via a pulley, releasing the granules through the large hole in the bottom.

How to suspend the funnel mechanism below the drone i think would be the next challenging bit.



I think I also need to come up with a better idea for the plug and weight.
The mechanism needs to avoid pulling out the plug as it swings around under the drone en route to the drop site.
That would probably mean the string between the weight and the plug needs to be loose with some slack, but it would also mean needing to give the weight more travel space to drop when it is released.

 

[Cafguy]

Yes it is possible to achieve regulatory compliance for spraying pesticides via drone

Yes I am sure it is and those people are using pesticides clearly labeled for use with Drones. Are you?
If a U.,S. based member were to help you do something that is unlawful in New Zealand and the U.S. They could be prosecuted for criminal conspiracy. Again What you are wanting to do is not legal in your country.
That is my total opinion on the subject.....Thanx for your time.
P.S. Vinegar and dish soap kill ants and neither is regulated. That I can find.

 

[AMann]

I wanted to do something similar with California poppy seeds. My idea was to drop them in a pattern to create giant letters that could be seen from the sky, maybe even on Google Earth! Some kind of 3D printed or even light weight cardboard hopper. What it could do is have a little motor that is servo signal activated, because that’s all they use on the other drop systems - a small servo. The motor can shake or open the hopper and make the seeds fall in a controlled way. What would be really cool is to use Litchi or some other automated flight control like that and instead of taking a picture, it drops the seeds along the flight waypoints.

 

[Cafguy]

There was a time I thought of seeding the Golf course with my Drone just for kicks I myself was going to backwards engineer a seed spreader . I thought I would use some sort of fan to turn the seeder but I never quite got it off the ground. I think it still requires a part 107 cert.

 

[anotherlab]

There was a time I thought of seeding the Golf course with my Drone just for kicks I myself was going to backwards engineer a seed spreader . I thought I would use some sort of fan to turn the seeder but I never quite got it off the ground. I think it still requires a part 107 cert.

Commercial use = Part 107.

The DJI Agras T30 looks like it would be perfect for doing a golf course. Another industry that is about to get screwed over by this idiot ban.

 

[sawman]

Hi All

I have a dji mavic 3, mavic pro and mini 3 and about twice a year i need to go to a few hilltop sites to drop some ant sand / ant bait around some solar panels and electronic equipment.

Does anyone know of a drop device mod that would allow me to fly around and sprinkle the ant sand around the site remotely?
It would save me having to ride my quad bike up the hill.

Its definitely not worth buying one of the farming models of drones that drop commercial quantities of fertilizer or sprays. Imagine needing to drop about half a cup of sugar granules in a paddock about 1km away.

I am keen to hear your ideas.

I have this for my Air 2s...

Amazon.com: RAYMIGIA Release and Drop Device System for DJI Air 2S,Mavic Air 2 Drone,Air Droper Kit,Fishing Hook, Bait Release, Payload Delivery, Ring Thrower, Search & Rescue Accessories : Toys & Games

Amazon.com: RAYMIGIA Release and Drop Device System for DJI Air 2S,Mavic Air 2 Drone,Air Droper Kit,Fishing Hook, Bait Release, Payload Delivery, Ring Thrower, Search & Rescue Accessories : Toys & Games

www.amazon.com

You could fab up a cloth "bag" to hold the product being broadcast. One side tied to the drone and the other side to the release hook.
When over the target area, flip on the landing light to trigger the release. Simple.

You're on your own as far as legalities, etc.