WHAT THE POT IS GOOD FOR
The pot tells you where to look.
A bait pot doesn't just show that the Asian Hornet is present. If you mark an insect and time its return, you can narrow down the direction to the nest – the established triangulation. Hivora Sense handles the recording so you don't have to stand by. This saves you from daily inspection trips to dozens of pots just to check if anything happened at all.
What's inside
Camera module
A compact camera module sits right above the bait station and keeps an eye on activity – day and night, without anyone having to be on site.
Detection right at the pot
The analysis runs on the device itself, not in the cloud. A model trained specifically on the Asian hornet separates relevant detections from everything else.
Only what matters
The device doesn't document everything, only what's relevant. This saves power, storage space, and the tedious manual evaluation of hundreds of irrelevant images.
Flexible sync
Data is synced via the HornetLog app – conveniently over Wi-Fi or fully offline with an SD card when there's no network in the field.
How it works
From bait station to a nest that gets found, in three steps
Set up
Place the bait station as usual, mount Hivora Sense and switch it on. The classic wick bait pot stays part of the setup.
Observe
The camera module watches around the clock and recognises on site what arrives at the pot. Everything is stored locally.
Sync
Pick up the detections with the HornetLog app – over Wi-Fi or SD card – and bring them together in the region's shared pool on the Hivora platform.
At a glance
Built for the field
Hivora Sense is designed as an open build: reproducible, maintainable and based on robust, readily available components.
- Camera module that recognises the Asian hornet directly on the device
- Round-the-clock observation without anyone having to stand next to it
- Image transfer via the HornetLog app — over Wi-Fi or from the SD card
- Pairing and data retrieval through the HornetLog app
- Add-on for the classic wick bait pot – an extension, not a replacement
- Open build kit with a freely available build guide
BUILD IT YOURSELF
An afternoon, around €30–40.
What you need
A board for around €12–25, a USB-C cable, a microSD card and a specimen cup from the pharmacy. No soldering.
How you put it together
The housing comes off a 3D printer — the files are free, and without a printer of your own a makerspace or your association will have one. You flash the software straight from the browser, no programming needed.
Where the power comes from
A power bank at the station or a socket at the apiary — either works.
The honest part: right now you assemble the station yourself, and there is no finished device to buy yet. And the detection keeps getting better — it gives you a pointer, not a determination.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Hivora Sense
What is Hivora Sense?
Hivora Sense is a digital bait station: a camera module with on-device AI that recognises and documents Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) activity at the bait station around the clock — without anyone having to stand next to it.
How does Hivora Sense work?
Place the bait station, mount Hivora Sense and switch it on. The camera module watches around the clock, the AI on the device separates relevant detections from noise and stores them locally. You collect the detections with the HornetLog app — over Wi-Fi or SD card.
Does Hivora Sense need an internet connection?
No. The AI runs directly on the device; Hivora Sense works completely offline and syncs either via Wi-Fi or offline via SD card.
Does Hivora Sense replace the classic wick bait pot?
No. Hivora Sense is an add-on for the classic wick bait pot – an extension, not a replacement.
Can I build Hivora Sense myself?
Yes. Hivora Sense is an open build kit with a freely available build guide, built from robust, readily available components.
View the build guideWhich hornet species does Hivora Sense detect?
The model on the device is trained specifically on the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) and distinguishes relevant detections from noise.
How reliable is the AI?
There is no such thing as 100% certainty with AI, and false detections can never be fully ruled out. The models already deliver reliable results today and are continuously improved – and the more users and reports come together, the sharper the detection becomes.
How is the Hivora Sense bait station powered?
The bait station can be powered from a USB adapter wherever a suitable outlet is available on site. Otherwise, the Hivora Sense bait station can just as well run from a power bank.
Is Hivora Sense a trap?
No. Hivora Sense is a monitoring bait station: a camera module that documents what arrives at the pot. It catches and kills no animals. What we are working on is something else — a separate, future device that could trigger selectively based on the detection, in order to avoid bycatch. Today we are only collecting the data for that. Hivora Sense remains an observation device.
Why did my bait station not save anything even though an Asian hornet was there?
Hivora Sense does not record continuous video. The device watches an animal for a short while and only saves once it is sure enough. If the hornet leaves again quickly, a detection can be missed. That is exactly what we are working on — future firmware updates will improve it.
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