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Who are we?

We are hobbyist beekeepers based in the East Midlands in the UK, with a passion for looking after our bees.

The Asian hornet has been found in several locations around the UK in 2024, overwintering for the first time in the winter of 23/24. As such, we brought our other skills to bear and embarked on designing a sustainable Asian Hornet monitoring solution.

Design and Functionality

The Asian Hornet Monitoring Box is specifically designed to attract and capture Asian hornets without trapping other insects. This is achieved through a combination of physical design and selective baiting strategies:

• Selective Entrances: The monitoring box features entrance holes calibrated to the size of Asian hornets, making it difficult for larger insects to enter. The smaller escape holes are designed to allow bees and wasps to escape. This dual, structural approach reduces the likelihood of non-target species becoming trapped.
• Attractive Baits: The baits used in these boxes are specifically chosen for their attractiveness to Asian hornets. While being less attractive to other insects such as bees and butterflies.
• Non-lethal Monitoring: Unlike traditional traps that kill the captured insects, monitoring boxes often use a non-lethal approach. Captured hornets can be identified and recorded/notified and selectively removed, allowing for continuous monitoring without significantly harming the local insect population.

Cone Design

Throughout our design process, our Asian Hornet Cones have been changed and refined based on feedback from experts and other beekeepers. For example, our original design featured more holes in the base of the cone, the number of which was reduced to lower the likelihood of clustering around the entrance. The size of these holes was also changed to minimise bycatch.

We hold stock of most items so dispatch is normally 2-3 days. We are very happy to make bulk orders. Please contact us for timing on large orders.