Yes. Gorse and blackberry scattered across hill country, in gullies or along fencelines are some of the jobs a spray drone suits best. It’s patchy, awkward work where a boom sprayer can’t go and a knapsack crew is slow and hard on people. Whether a drone is the right call for your block mostly comes down to how big and how solid the infestation is.
Where does a drone do well on gorse and blackberry?
On scattered patches. The drone flies to each clump and treats it, so you’re not paying to cover a whole paddock to get at a few spots.
On steep faces and in gullies. Nobody has to walk or drive the slope. The pilot works from a safe spot with a clear view of the drone, and the drone follows the terrain. There’s more on that in can you spray steep or wet ground with a drone.
Close to boundaries. A drone sprays from much closer to the plants than a helicopter does, which helps keep spray where it’s meant to go. Wind, droplet size and the product still matter, so a good operator checks conditions on the day and won’t fly if it isn’t right.
When might a helicopter be the better option?
On large, dense blocks of mature gorse covering most of a hillside. A helicopter carries a lot more per load, so on a big solid job it can work out cheaper. If that’s your situation, get a quote for both. We compare the two in Is Drone Spraying Better Than Helicopter Spraying?
How is gorse spraying charged?
Usually by the hour, often with a minimum callout, rather than per hectare. Per-hectare pricing doesn’t make much sense when the drone’s only treating part of the block. See how much drone spraying costs per hectare for what pushes the price up or down.
Can any drone pilot spray my gorse?
No. The organisation doing the job should hold an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate (UAOC) from the CAA. The pilot should hold a Part 102 Drone Pilot Certificate, a Chemical Rating and an Ag Rating, and be inducted onto that organisation’s UAOC. Ask to see them before anyone flies. We’ve written more on how to check an operator.
Which sprays can go on from a drone?
The product has to be used the way its label directs, at the label rate. Your operator or agronomist will choose the product and the timing for your weeds.
Do my neighbours need to know?
Often, yes. Regional councils set the rules on spraying near boundaries, and they differ from region to region. In the Bay of Plenty, a drone flying no more than 5 metres above the tallest part of what it’s spraying is treated like ground spraying, so neighbours within 50 metres get told beforehand. Fly higher than that and the aerial spraying rules apply, with a 200 metre notification distance. Your operator should be able to tell you what applies on your block and who’s doing the notifying.
What should I have ready before the operator comes out?
A rough map or a walk-around of where the gorse and blackberry are, water access for refilling, where stock will be, and anything nearby that needs keeping clear, like houses, waterways or beehives.
Get a quote for your block
Tell us where the block is and roughly where the gorse and blackberry are, and we’ll come back with a price for the job.
Request a quote or call 0800 DRONEBOSS.
