Veteran-owned Heritage Drone Service outlines low-cost drone spraying option for county ditches

Jake Wetzel, owner of Heritage Drone Service, presented to the Marshall County Drainage Board about using drones for ditch vegetation management and pesticide application. Wetzel described the company as a small veteran-owned business started in 2022 that has sprayed roughly 50,000 acres across northern Indiana and parts of Illinois and said about 65–70% of its work is agricultural.

Wetzel told the board that drone application can lower chemical volumes and reduce cost compared with traditional methods. "The drones are very quick and they're very efficient," he said, adding the company recently won a 27-mile contract in LaPorte County at a price he said was roughly half of a nearest competitor. Wetzel described pesticide choices and tactics: an aquatic product (a Corteva product referred to as Freelex) for bank vegetation, selective use of triclopyr formulations for heavy brush, and glyphosate for invasive grasses such as phragmites.

Wetzel explained operational limits set by state regulators and safety practices. "Anything over 9, 10 miles an hour, we stop...That's a state law," he said when asked about drift controls. He also said the company carries $1 million in chemical drift liability insurance and that drone applications can use much lower water volumes per acre — he said 3–4 gallons per acre versus the historical 15–20 gallons — because of fine droplet size and canopy penetration.

Board members asked about signage and public notification; Wetzel said counties typically send letters to affected residents and that some sensitive areas (for example, blueberry patches) would be hand-sprayed. Craig, a county staff member, said he has previously used Wetzel’s services and hoped to include him in brush treatment for 2025. Wetzel said no board action was needed at the meeting and he was present to introduce his services and meet board members.

No formal action was taken by the board on the presentation.