Ornetin is a selective trap and easy-to-use that allows for the capture of Asian hornets without impacting biodiversity. During its design, we paid attention to many details that are not explicit but are indeed present. And it is a success! To the point that we have inspired many imitators. But make no mistake, the original and the best is Ornetin. Here’s why.
Selective Trap Above All
At the heart of Ornetin’s design is selectivity. We wanted a trap that would not impact other animal species, and in 2021, when we designed it, there weren’t many choices in this field. Homemade bottle traps or those from Vetopharma are certainly not champions of biodiversity preservation. We wanted something better. The use of a “dry” bait greatly helped in limiting collateral catches. Additionally, the addition of large openings and its horizontal position completed the design to nearly achieve 100% effectiveness in many cases.
Reduced operating cost
Sometimes, people may compare the purchase price of Ornetin, which is indeed higher than that of other traps on the market. However, beyond the purchase price, the ownership cost is what matters.
- Ornetin operates with minimal bait consumption – just two tablespoons of syrup. This frugality throughout its operational life makes it truly cost-effective, and one quickly forgets the few euros spent on its acquisition. We did the math: comparing it with a homemade “bottle” trap, which cost 0€ at “purchase,” Ornetin turns out to be cheaper after 10 months!
- The chosen materials, High-Density PET plastic, and glass for the jar, make it durable for life. It can be easily cleaned with a simple water jet and maintains its trapping efficiency forever because it does not absorb any odor or dirt over its use.
Why Le Parfait jar?
Another frequently asked question is why we chose the Le Parfait jar instead of using a TO80 pot, which is widely available among beekeepers and, of course, cheaper. There are two reasons for this:
- Ornetin operates without bait and horizontally. Its mode of action is based on mutual attraction: hornets inside attract those outside. But for this, we need an “attraction surface.” This attractive surface corresponds to the crown around the cone. If we reduced the diameter from D100mm to D80mm, we would have 40% less attraction surface. What’s the point of saving €1 on purchase if it leads to a loss of efficiency throughout the trap’s life? We made our design choice.
- The second reason is that the Le Parfait Familia Wiss jar has no bottleneck. The lid opening is the widest possible. And this makes a difference when emptying and washing it because a simple hand inside the jar and it’s rinsed. With a TO80, it gets stuck at the bottleneck, your hand doesn’t fit, and it’s more challenging to wash thoroughly to eliminate all unwanted odors. It also fills up faster. Once again, we made our design choice.
- Additionally, these jars are of extremely high-quality reinforced glass, thick and durable. There’s a reason they’ve been passed down from generation to generation. We chose to reuse an existing product rather than manufacture a new one.
Ornetin, more than just a selective trap, it’s a community
Beyond the “material” trap, we (at BroodMinder) have a vision of democratizing trapping for everyone, not just beekeepers. Some may cynically say, “Democratizing at this price!” Well, yes, because at this price:
- We can engage distributors so that traps are available everywhere, as close to everyone as possible.
- We can also communicate to raise awareness among citizens (check Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Ulule)
- We can build and foster a community, collect and share best practices, as seen on this resources page.
- We can provide a trap that comes from a robust and controlled industrial process.
For example, we are preparing a campaign to encourage citizens to trap this spring. We will provide information, awareness, resources – it takes time and a lot of expertise. From our perspective, it’s THE key to successfully controlling the invasion. What’s a rifle without an army? What’s a soldier without a community?
The control of the Asian hornet will not be successful with beekeepers alone. It requires broad citizen engagement. Talking to them and convincing them to act with simple means within their reach. If they succeed, they will help reduce the pressure. In the worst case, they will have become aware of the harmful effects of this species on biodiversity.
If you decide to choose something else, prioritize selectivity
The arguments presented below may or may not resonate with you. In any case, you are the one making the final choice, with your own reasons, and that is entirely normal. However, if there is one thing to guarantee in your future trapping campaign, it must undoubtedly be selectivity. Mass trapping is a solution against Asian hornets only if it has no collateral damage. Studies from ADANA and ITSAP in 2022 have shown that some traps catch 230 insects for one caught founder. A selective trap should be your top priority, above efficiency and cost.