199 - Larvicide Applications with Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Placer County, CA

The Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District (PMVCD) has been applying larvicides via unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) since 2019. We started by conducting trials to provide baseline data for safe and effective larvicide applications to incorporate this technology into our day-to-day operations. We have treated over 880 acres; in sources including: organic rice fields, large retention ponds, snowmelt pools, irrigated pastures, and wetlands. The DJI AGRAS MG-1S can effectively treat mosquito sources that historically were treated with All Terrain Vehicles, or smaller hard-to-access sources that were treated by technicians using hand-held equipment. UAS provides us another effective tool in our toolbox, and we look forward to evaluating new, larger UAS in the future.