Questions We Get on Every Sales Call
Straight answers on pricing, how drones compare to other options, safety and rules, coverage, and weather — written in full, not hidden behind a dropdown.
How much does drone spraying cost?
Our 2027 rate card prices service by the job or by the acre. Fungicide application starts at $15.00/acre, pesticide application at $22.00/acre, and granular & cover crop seeding at $15.00/acre. Scouting & mapping is $5.00/acre, aerial photography & video is $332.50/job, inspection & mapping is $595.00/job, and thermal deer recovery is $350.00/search. Pond & natural-area applications are $900.00/job and roll out in Spring 2028. Volume and multi-service pricing is available — ask us for a custom quote for your operation.
How do spray drones compare to a ground rig or manned aircraft?
Drones sit between ground rigs and manned aircraft and win on a few things neither does well. Unlike a ground rig, a drone causes zero soil compaction and leaves no ruts — important on wet ground, headlands, and no-till fields — and it can fly when the ground is too soft to drive. Unlike manned aircraft, a drone flies low and slow with GPS-guided precision, so drift is minimal and you aren't blanket-spraying. The trade-off is tank size: our Talos T60X carries 50L (13.2 gal) per flight and refills quickly, so it shines on fields in the tens to a few hundred acres rather than thousands at a stretch.
What area do you cover?
We operate across 24 counties in Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro. You can check whether your address is inside our footprint on the coverage map on our homepage; if you're near the edge or just outside it, reach out — we occasionally take jobs outside the core area depending on scheduling.
What chemicals can you apply, and how do you handle them safely?
Our applicators are licensed commercial pesticide applicators, and we apply herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, foliar fertilizer, plant growth regulators, and mating-disruption products labeled for aerial use. For wetland work we use aquatic-approved herbicides. We follow the label on every product — rate, droplet size, buffer zones, and re-entry intervals — and our drone's adjustable 20–320 micron droplet control lets us tune the application to the product and the wind to minimize drift.
What are your weather limitations?
We won't fly in conditions that cause off-target drift or unsafe flight — high wind, rain, or conditions that violate the product label. Our Talos T60X handles moderate wind, and the Matrice 4TD is rated for takeoff and landing in up to 12 m/s (~27 mph). If we schedule a job and the weather turns, we'll reschedule at the earliest safe window — you're never charged for a flight that doesn't happen in good conditions.
Are you licensed and insured, and how does FAA regulation affect my job?
Yes — we're licensed and insured. Our pilots hold the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, and our applicators carry Minnesota commercial pesticide applicator licenses. For agricultural spraying that meets the FAA's agricultural aircraft definition, operations fall under the Part 137 agricultural aircraft framework. We track and comply with current rules, and we stay current on pending changes so you don't have to.
What is the pending FCC drone rule (DA 26-758) and does it affect my job?
DA 26-758 is a pending FCC proceeding tied to how certain unmanned aircraft are authorized to operate in the National Airspace System. As of this page's update it has not yet changed how we schedule or fly routine agricultural applications in our 24-county service area. We monitor it closely because new aircraft-authorization rules can affect fleet operations. If a final rule changes anything about your specific job — timing, paperwork, or equipment — we'll tell you before you commit, not after.
How fast can you get to my field?
During peak season scheduling is first-come, first-served — we never bump a job because someone offered more, it's a fairness principle we hold to. For most application work we can typically get to a field within a few days of a confirmed request, and faster for smaller or pre-scheduled acreage. Thermal deer recovery is time-critical: call as soon as you've lost the blood trail and we'll fly as fast as we can, especially after dark.
What equipment do you fly?
Two purpose-built aircraft. The Talos T60X is our application platform — a 50L (13.2 gal, upgradeable to 60L) tank, up to 7.4 GPM flow, a 36 ft spray swath, optional 132 lb granular spreader, and tri-camera obstacle avoidance with auto Return-to-Home. The DJI Matrice 4TD is our thermal, photo, and mapping platform — a 640×512 thermal camera, 48MP wide/medium-tele/tele cameras, a laser rangefinder, IP55 weather sealing, about 54 minutes of flight time, and a −20°C to 50°C operating range.
Do you spray at night or early morning?
Yes. Low wind and stable air overnight and early morning are often the best windows for drift control, and for golf courses we fly overnight and pre-play so the course opens clean. Cover crop seeding into standing crop and mosquito control ahead of events also commonly use off-peak hours. We'll recommend the best window for your product and site.
Still have a question?
We'd rather answer it before you commit than after. Call, email, or request a quote and we'll get you a straight answer.
