VelStop® IVI: Specialized Selective Protection and Mechanical Security in Secure Migration
The VelStop® IVI model is the specialized compact entrance variant, configured exclusively as a permanent hive entrance accessory with an integrated selective capture trap. Its primary objective is to offer an active perimeter barrier against hornets (Asian hornet, Vespa velutina) without hindering daily management, while standing out for its unique structural robustness during beehive transport.

Two VelStop® IVI devices installed in the entrance of a beehive
🛠 Prototype Engineering Specifications
  • Field Validation Material: Manufactured via FDM 3D printing using technical PETG polymer. It has demonstrated excellent structural resistance to solar degradation (UV radiation) and impacts through years of real exposure in the apiary.
  • Scalable CAD Modularity: Due to physical size limitations of the print bed (Prusa MK4S), each unit is optimized to a half-length Langstroth hive entrance (216 mm). Full coverage of a standard hive is achieved by symmetrically installing two contiguous units. Compact height of 60 mm and depth of 50 mm.
  • Anti-Wind Permanent Structural Anchoring: The base body is permanently fixed to the wood of the hive using screws. Unlike other entrance accessories on the market that use weak eyelets or tabs, this rigid anchoring is fully immune to wind, vibrations, or accidental wildlife disturbances.
🔄 Specific Operating Modes
1. Mode 1: Direct Full Access
Only the screwed base remains fixed on the hive entrance; the front plate and filters are removed. The bees have 100% free access to the entrance section. Traffic flow, ventilation, and the colony's organic cleaning tasks are executed identically to a traditional hive, eliminating the need to remove the equipment during winter.
2. Mode 2: Medium Protection with Independent Flows
The removable front plate is inserted without filters, compartmenting the interior volume into independent passage channels. Bees transit freely toward the hive, while hornets, guided by their natural behavior and positive phototaxis (attraction to upper light), ascend in isolation into the capture chamber, where they remain mechanically enclosed. This mode completely prevents hornets in the passage chamber from attacking or stressing the bees in adjoining channels, allowing the hive to continue working without interruptions through those adjacent channels.
In this mode, hornets can enter the hive since no filter is present, if they manage to bypass the phototaxis guidance system at the entrance. However, in their attempt to return outside, hornets will find that the adjusted passage openings leading to the capture chamber—being higher and receiving more exterior light—are far more attractive than the entry openings, leaving them trapped upon exit. During breeding season, this configuration also facilitates the natural exit of the swarm, including larger drones, ensuring optimal fertilization and safeguarding the genetic variability of the swarm while maintaining active hornet capture capability.
3. Mode 3: High Protection with Physical Exclusion
To Mode 2 operations, a filter module with calibrated circular openings is added, offering size discrimination: bees and drones transit without difficulty, but an impassable size barrier prevents hornet specimens from accessing the interior of the hive.
4. Mode 4: Secure Migration Closure and Total Locking
The perimeter closure accessory for the IVI version is designed to snap-fit using a "click" system and can also be firmly screwed to the hive. Additionally, depending on the model, the closure accessory can feature circular protrusions that fit milimetrically into the filter holes to make the locking mechanism more stable. While the click system secures the lock, the ability to firmly screw the closure to the hive prevents the click mechanism from dislodging when the hive is subjected to intense vibrations or bumps on rural roads. Using an electric screwdriver, the closure is secured in seconds, offering maximum safety during transit by preventing any bee escape.
🚀 Adaptation Potential for Industrial Injection Molding
The geometric design of the VelStop® IVI prototype can be adapted for high-volume plastic injection molding (utilizing high-density industrial polymers such as PP or HDPE with UV protection additives). Industrialization under a licensing agreement will allow the creation of a single accessory with a full hive-entrance length. This will optimize postal packaging for the retail market, reduce installation times for the beekeeper (a single device per hive), and drastically lower manufacturing costs.
📺 Practical Demonstration of Configurations
In the following video, you can observe how the manual transition of the VelStop® IVI between different operating modes is performed in the apiary: