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Locating Asian hornet nests is finally possible. Several teams have used INTUITE products to track hornets back to their nests – and destroy them. Locnest is now available to the general public.

Buy LOCNEST

a radio tag to follow hornets

LOCNEST c'est une balise qui fait grosso modo le poids d'une abeille, 110 mg, qu'on colle sur le dos d'un frelon, pour le suivre grâce à une antenne portative branchée sur un téléphone. La balise émet pendant entre 4 et 5 heures et le signal est reçu entre 3 et 4 km. Le tout pour env. 60€ par balise (qui est réutilisable) et moins de 300€ le kit antenne.

Technical details

A community to share best practices

Technically, the tool is well-developed: it works! And it can still be improved. What remains to be done is to develop a decisive and rapid protocol regardless of the environment. This is where collaboration and sharing will make the difference.

The forum

how it works ?

Capture a hornet. Attach the tag made in Toulouse. Locate the signal using directional antennas. It will all be much clearer in a video :


We have worked a lot since the video

On the day of the video (late July 2023), we did four tests; the video doesn’t show everything, but at the time, the tag only had a range of 250 meters. We thought that would be enough… but we lost the signal three times. Today, the range is more like 3000 meters. .


Latest updates

Locnest is continuously improving with the goal of offering a low-cost solution, both in terms of equipment and time spent.

2026

Simplification.

Allégement et simplification du système

Batterie intégrée et chargeur simplifié

2025

Momentum.

target : find nest in less than 1 h

and a 50% success rate

Range : 3000 m | Weight : 0,13 g | Duration : 3 h

New app for tracking + Tagging + range

2024 feedback: tracking needs to be made easier

- extended range to improve direction determination

- streamlined tagging process to reduce stress on the hornet

evelopment of SDRProTrack to simplify, strengthen, optimize, and tailor signal processing.

2024

Marketing to the first circle.

it's working in Corse, in Alsace, in PACA

Users find nests

The first circle teams use Locnest. It can sometimes be cumbersome or unstable, but technically it works.

New weight loss and significant increase in range

Range : 1200 m | weight : 0,13 g | Duration : 3 h

The cost is contained through the use of off-the-shelf and open-source tools.

2023

Project confirmation

The first hunts and first localizations. A protocol is emerging and repeating

The hornets take off well

90% of the hornets take off well, but we lose the signal too often: the beacons do not have enough range.

Weight loss and increase in range

range : 250 m | weight : 0,15 g | Duration : 4 h

Implementation of the complete system based on off-the-shelf tools.

2022

Project start

After numerous attempts, the first hornets take off with the transmitter but with great difficulty

1st tag emits

Range : 100 m | Weight : 0,2 g

LOCNEST and INTUITE in the press and on social media

20 minutes : lien vers l'article | LeParisien : lien vers l'article | LaDépêche : lien vers l'article | Europe1 : lien vers l'émission | Etienne LGF vidéo n°1 youtube (teaser) 

Diligence and Precision

 

 

 

Curious to learn more?

Feel free to contact us for anything — we’re here to help! 😊