HOMED partners from the University of Padua produced an enlightening video about how everyday materials can be used to monitor ambrosia beetle’ populations. The video – created by HOMED members Dr Fernanda Colombari and Prof Andrea Battisti – demonstrates how with no more than 5-6 components, you can construct inexpensive traps, which can have actual impact.

In fact, during a citizen science experiment in the spring of 2021, these traps were set in schools throughout the Veneto Region, Italy, and their use led to the discovery of two quarantine pests: Cnestus mutilatus, new for the European part of the EPPO region, and Anisandrus maiche, previously found only in Eastern European EPPO member countries. Both species represent a significant threat given their ability to establish and spread rapidly in new areas thanks to human-mediated transport of goods.

Watch the new HOMED video to learn how to construct these traps yourself: