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24 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | March/April 2022 EXPERTISE DRONE USE EXPANDS TO SPRAYING AND SEEDING PROJECTS Tackling invasive vegetation can be overwhelming, especially within large areas of land. It can require a lot of time, equipment, resources and manpower. Davey Resource Group (DRG) has a cutting edge solution to these land management challenges – drones. DRG Environmental Consulting has a fleet of drones with the ability to apply herbicides and distribute seed. "The safety and accuracy of this new technology is a huge benefit for our clients as well as our staff," said Bruce Swanger, lead environmental scientist with DRG. "While they often significantly increase our productivity, the real benefits of employing drones are seen with the reduction of pesticide exposure to our operators, increased accuracy of applications and an overall better final product for our clients." Drones are a great fit for projects that are hard to access or land that is difficult to traverse. Before, specialized Left: Spraying and seeding are services DRG provides with its drone fleet. Drones improve employee safety by limiting exposure to chemicals when filling the drone tanks, compared with a manual application when employees are exposed during the application process. Above: An example where seeding by drone can aid wetland and stream restoration work. Wetlands can be difficult to traverse. Scan the QR code to watch a video about drone use at Davey. equipment, or in some cases even a helicopter, was needed. "Helicopters are very expensive, and they are not as accurate," Swanger said. "They can't get as close to the target as we can. With the drone, we can be inches from the plants we are treating or the area we are seeding." DRG's pilots layout the project area with the remote control and set the various parameters to achieve the desired results. Once uploaded, the drone autonomously completes the flight plan only returning for battery replacement or to refill the herbicide/seed. Each unit is equipped with GPS and obstacle avoidance radar making them incredibly safe and accurate. "Because of the drones, Davey can do projects that we couldn't tackle before," Swanger said. "Potential clients are seeing how we might be able to fit within their budgets and have the ability to treat more acreage." DESTRUCTIVE MOTH RENAMED 'SPONGY' YOU SHOULD KNOW The gypsy moth has a new name: The spongy moth. It was renamed by the Entomological Society of America (ESA) after remaining nameless for eight months. The former moth's name was flagged as a derogatory term for the Romani people by the ESA's Better Common Names Project. The official species Lymantria dispar's new common name, spongy moth, stems from "spongieuse", the name for the moth in France and French-speaking Canada. An invasive pest in North America, the moth's sponge-like egg masses spread while being transported by people in a variety of ways. The eggs are often laid on lawn equipment, outdoor furniture, grills, firewood, trailers, recreational vehicles and other surfaces that can be moved from place to place. Spongy moth caterpillars can defoliate 300 species of trees and shrubs.

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