Easy Asian Hornet trap

My father-in-law is a beekeeper and he is not keen of the Asian Hornet, as it is considered an invasive species in Western Europe. He asked me to design a simple hornet trap that could be installed in any plastic container (with a lid, obviously) with only a couple of simple tools.

After looking into several traps, we came up with this design. It features a 8.1mm opening for the Asian Hornet, where it can enter but cannot get out. It also features several slots large enough for honeybees to leave the trap. Hornets however cannot exit via these slots.

Printing instructions:

• Use PETG filament, as it is better suited for exterior use than e.g. PLA
• As for color, there seems to be some debate. Some opt for red, claiming the hornets are attracted to this color. Disclaimer: I am no biologist by any means, but after a bit of researching I made the assumption that the Asian Hornets might not even see red at all, let alone be attracted to it. I therefor opted for yellow, as this color is certainly within their visible colorrange.
• Use any print settings you like. I printed mine on 0.3 layer height, print time for one piece was around 34 minutes. No supports needed. Cooling fan will be required for the second half of the print (the actual funnel).

Tools required (other than the print itself):

• An 80mm hole saw (or a drill and a jigsaw)
• M3 nuts, bolts and washers

Installation instructions are fairly straightforward:

• Find a suitable plastic container, with a lockable lid
• Drill an 80mm hole in the location(s) where you want a trap
• Install the printed trap with the funnel to the inside of the box, using the nuts, bolts and washers.
• Add some bait
• Trap some hornets :-)

Bait can be put into a separate container (like a small yoghurt container). Recommended bait seems to be equal parts (dark) beer, (white) wine and sugar. The wine should keep the honey bees away.

If you manage to catch an Asian Hornet, consider your options:

• Asian Hornets caught in March/April are usually Queen Asian Hornets. Every queen caught cannot start a colony, which is great!
• Asian Hornets caught from May/June onwards are most likely workers. In certain countries in Western Europe, you can contact specialized organisations that install small trackers on the trapped workers, release them in order to track down the nest. Try to get in touch with a local beekeeper or beekeeping organisation, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

If you simply want to get rid of the things, fill the closed container with water, or put the entire thing (without water) in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Enjoy the print!