Piedmont region ramps up mosquito and Japanese beetle control measures

The municipality of Alba in the Piedmont region will begin a biologically based mosquito treatment campaign on 8 June, two months ahead of schedule. Funding of €30,000 – half from the regional government and half from the city – will support the use of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis in targeted larval sites such as drainage grates, parks, streets and schoolyards. Officials emphasised public cooperation and personal protection to curb diseases like West Nile, dengue and Zika.

Separately, the regional phytosanitary department, together with the Institute for Plant Protection (IPLA), has launched a 2026 action plan against the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica). About 1,200 “attract‑and‑kill” traps will be installed in heavily infested zones, with additional monitoring traps placed in surrounding buffer areas. The plan advises residents not to move or damage the traps and discourages the use of pheromone traps, which can exacerbate plant damage.