Hornet Trap - GardApis Sentinel

The Gard’Apis Asian Hornet (Vespa Velutina) Trap is a highly selective trap which has zero by-catch of other hornets, wasps, bees etc. The trap has been developed by beekeepers in the field so that it is extremely effective at catching only Asian Hornet queens and workers.

The trap comprises of :

• Queen Excluder mesh body
• 2 End cones
• 2 pairs of discriminatory nozzles, red for queens, orrange for workers.
• Spare nozzles
• Mesh clip
• Transparent bait tray

The traps have been designed and developed in the field in France by beekeepers. The design has under gone 26 iterations so that it only catches Asian hornet queens and workers. By-Catch is reduced to a minimum by using two different sized nozzles, the red nozzle is used to catch queens in the spring and autumn and the orange nozzle to catch workers during the summer

Instructions for use: 

Gard’Apis Instructions

Zero-bycatch: How to use the RED and ORANGE
nozzles

Each Gard’Apis kit comes with red and orange coloured
nozzles that fit to the cones. These are designed to all
but eliminate bycatch. n the Spring and the Autumn use
the Red nozzles.

In Spring the Queens are out foraging to feed their first
nests. In the Autumn new Queens are loading up with
Carbohydrates before they hibernate until the Spring.

Every Queen killed kills an entire nest and so it is
particularly important to have the traps out for when the
Queens are flying. Queens are larger than their
workers and so the nozzle are calibrated at 8mm to
allow them in. However, European hornet queens are
also out and the nozzle is small enough so that they
won’t enter. All other insects that might be attracted to
the trap (including bees) are either small enough to
easily escape through the mesh body of the trap or are
too large to get through the nozzle.

The Asian Hornet Queens do not leave the nest again
until their first brood of workers emerge. The workers
are very slightly smaller that their queens and this is
why we can switch to the Orange nozzle which is
calibrated to 7mm. Switch to the orange nozzle
6-8weeks after the first Queens are sighted. These
nozzles allow the Asian Hornet Workers to enter the
trap but not the European Hornet workers that also
appear around this time.

Our experience has been virtually zero bycatch. In the
unlikely event there is a bycatch place the trap in a
freezer until all the insects stop moving. Open the trap
and remove the bycatch (a spoon works well) and put
the insect to be saved outside to recover. Return the
trap complete with Asian hornets back to the freezer for
an hour or two to humanely kill the remaining
occupants. The trap can then be reset and baited.

Save a 2-3 Asian Hornets and leave them in the trap to
recover. Live Asian Hornets are the best bait of all!

Guide on Baits for Traps

1 Understanding liquid baits

a. Liquid baits are commonly used in kill traps
designed to drown attracted insects. They effectively
target pests but have a significant downside. Any insect
lured, whether beneficial or not, will die.

b. Asian hornets have a range limit of about 700
meters from their nests. Once the local hornet
population is suppressed the kill traps will continue to
kill all other insect species. This indiscriminate action
could potentially suppress certain local insect
population, eventually making the traps more harmful to
the ecosystem that the hornets themselves.

2. An Improved Approach to Liquid Bait

a. The Gard’Apis trap is designed to accept small
pots of liquid bait with wicks. The baited wicks attract
many insects but none will drown. Importantly the baits
will feed the Asian Hornets who generally live in the
traps for up to 3 days and will attract more of their
fellows. Without access to water and food the Asian
Hornets will die within a day an important and useful
lure will be lost.

A We recommend using a sponge in the lower
bait pot conjunction with liquid bait. This approach has
two primary benefits:
• The sponge absorbs the liquid, enhancing the
surface area available of evaporation.
• The sponge also ensures the bait remains
contained, preventing wastage.

3. Commercial Liquid Baits and Homemade Recipes

a. A Commercial liquid baits effectively attract
hornets, but some might lure a broader spectrum of
insects, like butterflies. This can lead to unintended
consequences.
b. Baits with alcohol content can maintain their
aroma for a period, though it fades due to evaporation
c. Experiment! There are numerous DIY recipes
available online. These mixtures especially when
paired with a sponge can be used standalone or mixed
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Gard’Apis - All about preventing predation by the Asiatic Hornet
with other lures for enhanced efficacy.

4 The Effectiveness of Honeycomb

Honeycomb is a top-tier bait. The scent of wax and
honey, reminiscent of beehives is irresistible to Asian
Hornets.
Interestingly, hornets do not typically prey on the bees
near Gard’Apis traps. Possibly the lack of a single
obvious entry or exit (as in a hive) does not mark it as a
hunting zone for them. Instead, they crawl over trap
until they find their way in , and their ensuing distress
when trapped becomes a powerful attractant for other
hornets. While it effectively lures hornets it also draws
bees that may recover parts of the bait.

5. Emptying and resetting the trap

A. Capturing the first hornet sets off a chain
reaction, pulling in more from the vicinity. The
suggested procedure is:
a. Handle the trap carefully and, preferably, after
dusk. We recommend wearing protective clothing,
including heavy gloves and wrapping the trap securely
in cloth such as a towel. Asian hornets do not fly at
night and therefore the trap will not attract more once
darkness falls.

b. Place the trap in a freezer for about 2-4 minutes
or until hornet movement ceases. This will also stun
bycatch.

c. Save any Bycatch. A spoon works well.

d. Transfer all but 2-3 hornets into a bag and
return it to the freezer for 20 minutes or more for
humane extermination.

e. Reseal and redeploy the trap. The retained
hornets upon revival continue to lure their counterparts.

f. An added twist is to place an empty trap, baited
of not, alongside and in contact with a trap containing
Asian Hornets. Hornets arriving on the scene will crawl
about both traps and some will end up inside the empty
trap, effectively baiting it! Separate the traps and
continue to catch Asian Hornets.