Bracken spraying

Photo-Under the white
helmet is Jack; under Jack is a Honda TRX 450; behind that is hopefully one of
our rough terrain 6m boom sprayers.
DTMS Group have been carrying out bracken control as part of
a successful on-going programme for Yorkshire Water.
Bracken has become a serious problem across many areas of
the UK.
Uncontrolled, it soon becomes a monoculture, smothering more
sensitive habitats such as heather and grasses, by blocking sunlight and
rainfall, severely effecting the biodiversity of the area.
Bracken litter is also the ideal environment for sheep ticks
to thrive. These can spread disease not
only to livestock and birds but also humans in the form of Lyme’s disease.
Due to the high water volume required with the herbicide,
the ability to mobilise the all-terrain DTMS quads and sprayers on very
challenging moorland was essential to achieve the desired result.
The terrain bracken grows in is often challenging, rough,
undulating with hidden boulders and hollows. Add the occasional snake and the risk assessment make for interesting
reading!
The Moors for the Future Partnership with Yorkshire water
are committed in protecting and improving water quality of areas of the Peak
district and South Pennines. For more information visit www.moorsforthefuture.com