An innovative technique
It is called radiotracking or, in Italian, radiotelemetry, and it is the innovative technique thanks to which, with special equipment, in the last few days a nest of vespa velutina, first nest identified in Tuscany using this technology. This first positive result was made possible thanks to the use of innovative technology within the Regional Management Plan for the alien species Vespa velutina, operational since 2023 in implementation of European and national legislation. The Regional Plan is implemented with the scientific coordination of three University departments, the Department of Veterinary Sciences with the Department of Biology of the University of Pisa and the Department of Biology of the University of Florence with the monitoring and destruction or neutralization of the nests entrusted to three Tuscan beekeeping associations Toscana Miele, Associazione Regionale Produttori Apistici – ARPAT, Associazione degli Apiacoltori delle Province Toscane- AAPT and Toscana Miele – APA, the three most representative in the Tuscan territory.
The words of councilor Saccardi
"The result obtained is to be considered significant as it was found in a newly colonized area - said Vice President and Councilor for Agriculture Stefania Saccardi - Having managed to locate and remove the nest, as the scientific referents of the Regional Plan tell us, can contribute to reducing the number of founding queens present in the next production season". The operational group, in addition to the use of innovative and experimental technological tools such as radiotracking, is operating through the implementation and management of the monitoring network throughout the regional territory and the activity of neutralization/removal of the nests identified with the personnel trained under the Plan, to contain the spread of the species that causes significant damage to beekeeping.
StopVelutina Network
The subjects involved in the regional implementation of the Vespa velutina management plan also collaborate with other scientific institutions such as the Agriculture and Environment Research Centre of CREA and Beekeeping Associations of other regions also within the STOPVELUTINA network, born from the ministerial project of MIPAAF, concluded in 2016, which has continued to operate to develop effective containment strategies for this invasive alien species. The application of the radiotracking technique with the discovery of the first nest in Tuscany follows the recent discovery of the first Vespa velutina nest in Piedmont through the use of radiotracking, by the Aspromiele Association (Source TOSCANA NOTIZIE).
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