VelTrap: Complementary trap for the VelStop® ecosystem
A standalone component designed to increase hornet captures by reusing plastic jugs. Free 3D printing file downloads for beekeepers' exclusive private use (commercial sale or modification is strictly prohibited without a license).
The VelTrap was developed to provide beekeepers with a cost-effective, highly efficient, and heavy-duty perimeter trapping solution. Instead of utilizing weak seasonal market accessories that easily break under wind or solar degradation, this component is structurally optimized to remain tightly secured to rigid common plastic jugs, enduring harsh apiary weather conditions all year round.
🐝 Standalone and Autonomous Operation
This component operates in a fully autonomous manner. Today, any beekeeper can print the parts at home, fit them onto an old plastic jug, fill it with the appropriate bait/liquid attractant, and deploy a protective trap to secure the perimeter of their apiary immediately. It requires no additional hardware to be 100% effective in the field.
🔄 Integration with the VelStop® Ecosystem
While it functions flawlessly on its own, the VelTrap is engineered to integrate seamlessly into a global protection ecosystem. Both our permanent VelStop® IVI technical entrance and the advanced VelStop® Pollen model feature specialized evacuation outlets in their capture chambers.
When these industrial units hit the market, beekeepers will be able to route a flexible tube from the permanent entrance directly into the VelTrap-equipped jug. This achieves an automatic redirection of hornets: predators attacking the hive are mechanically routed outward, keeping worker bee traffic completely stress-free and safeguarding the colony 100% mechanically.
📐 Free Non-Commercial License for Beekeepers
We are fully aware of the lack of efficient tools available to beekeepers fighting the spread of Vespa velutina. Therefore, while we actively seek commercial partners to mass-produce the VelStop® IVI and/or VelStop® Pollen models via plastic injection molding, we have released the 3D printing files (STL) for the VelTrap and its LidScape technical cap completely free of charge.
Any beekeeper with access to a 3D printer can download them and manufacture these traps for their private use. However, to safeguard the project's long-term viability, the commercial sale, distribution, or modification of these files or the resulting physical parts is strictly prohibited without the express consent of the owner.
🛠️ Field Technical Guide
On our official download pages, you will find a detailed technical guide available in several languages, featuring:
- Printing and assembly instructions: Including the cutting process, template usage, and how to heat-melt zip tie holes into the plastic container instead of slicing them (preventing the jug from cracking over time under physical tension), as well as the full system setup.
- Seasonal Strategy: Positioning the trap at a height of 2 meters in trees during spring (to target emerging queens) versus ground-level placement next to the hive in summer (to counter active entrance attacks).
- Selectivity Bait Recipe: A sweet, alcohol-based homemade mixture with a splash of white vinegar explicitly formulated to attract hornets while actively repelling honeybees.
📢 HOW TO HELP US BRING THIS TO MASS PRODUCTION
3D printing is fantastic for prototyping and field validation, but it is not economically viable for supplying the entire commercial beekeeping sector. In order to convince an industrial manufacturer to invest in high-volume plastic injection molding so that the permanent VelStop® system can reach retail stores at a competitive price, we need to demonstrate to the industry that there is a massive market demand.
If you wish to support this project and help make it an industrial reality, we ask you to collaborate in three simple steps:
- Feed the YouTube Algorithm: Watch our official assembly tutorial, subscribe to our channel, like the video, and leave a comment. Higher user engagement trains the algorithm to boost international visibility to potential industrial investors.
- Download and Share: Retrieve the authorized files on Printables or Thingiverse, manufacture the components for your jugs, and share photos of your field catches ("Makes").
- Press the Manufacturers: Contact or ask your regular beekeeping equipment suppliers about the VelStop® permanent system. When retail shops and manufacturers notice that professional beekeepers are actively demanding this tool, they will move to license and mass-produce it.
📺 Instructions and system in action:
📥 Official Download Links (Non-Commercial Use Only):
- Download on Printables
- Download on Thingiverse