Aerial application has a long and fascinating history. What began decades ago using whatever aircraft and equipment were at hand has evolved into a highly specialized sector of the aviation industry.
Nonetheless, a growing number of people oppose the aerial application of pest control products, because they feel pesticides play a negative role in the production of food. Many of those people believe in organic foods, but actually don’t realize that organic doesn’t mean pesticides aren’t used. The truth is that organic farmers do use pesticides, often applied by air. In fact, organic farmers are actually making up more and more of our customer base, and the techniques used to apply their protection products mimic those used for conventional farmers.
The only difference between their pesticides and a conventional grower’s pesticides is the way in which they are created. Simply put, an organic pesticide cannot be synthetically created, but must be derived from natural substances, such as a plant base, bacterial spore or naturally occurring element. Generally speaking, these substances are less effective than synthetic pesticides, so more applications are often needed.
Beekeepers and farmers work together and understand the need for timely application of pesticides. Resources and links about beekeeping for the agricultural industry.
Most common crop pests in Alberta and links to useful resources on pest management.