This guide describes the basic setup of a Hivora Sense Wick Bait Station.
ATTENTION - Some of the screenshots in section „3. Installing the software“ are still in german, but you can switch to english on hivora.eu during the software setup.
What is a wick bait station and how does Hivora Sense help?
A wick bait station, sometimes also referred to as a bait jar or wick jar, is a proven tool in the search for nests of the invasive Asian hornet (Vespa velutina). It contains an attractant that draws hornets to a fixed feeding point. The goal is not to trap or kill the animals, but to make them regularly return to this location so that their flight direction can be observed and their nest can eventually be located.
Hivora Sense turns this classic wick bait station into an intelligent monitoring station. Instead of having to sit in front of the bait station for hours waiting for a hornet to appear, the technology takes over part of the observation work:
- Automatic detection: An integrated camera with AI-based image recognition monitors the bait station.
- Digital documentation: As soon as an Asian hornet is detected, an image can be captured and saved with a timestamp.
- Monitoring over time: Visits to the bait station can be documented even when nobody is on site.
The setup is currently still in an early community and prototype phase. This guide will be expanded step by step as specific components, housing variants and practical procedures prove themselves in real-world use.
Goal of the setup
A classic wick bait station is extended with a small electronic module. This module can document observations at the bait station and, in the future, provide indications of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) using image recognition.
The focus is on a setup that is as simple, understandable and easy to reproduce as possible, using commercially available components. Since not everyone is experienced with electronics, components that require soldering have deliberately been avoided.
The power supply concept is still open. It is clear that this simple version only allows a limited operating range. LoRa is not yet supported in this basic setup, but it is planned.
This project lives from community participation. Improvements and adaptations can and should be shared on this platform.
Required components
For a simple setup, the following components are expected to be needed.
The links given are examples only. Purchases via Amazon and Seeed may support the project.
- A container for the wick bait station, for example a urine sample cup
- Pharmacy
- Amazon.de
- Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense
- USB-C cable
- Power supply, for example USB power adapter, power bank or solar solution
- microSD card
- Housing or 3D-printed parts
- Optional cable ties or other mounting material
Required tools
Depending on the setup, the following may be helpful:
- 3D printer or access to printed parts
- Computer with internet access and USB-C port or adapter
- Smartphone or laptop to test the connection
No 3D printer? No problem. Look for a Maker Space in your community or use a printing service.
Note for 3D printing: For outdoor use, materials such as PETG or ASA are usually better suited than PLA. PLA can deform in heat and is less robust outdoors over the long term.
The stand and housing parts must be printed with support. For the roof, a 5 mm brim is recommended to improve adhesion to the print bed.
Basic setup
The setup roughly consists of these steps:
- Prepare the wick bait station
- Assemble the Hivora Sense module
- Install the software
- Test the device
1. Preparing the wick bait station
First, the wick bait station itself is prepared. In principle, any suitable container can be used. The Hivora Sense setup is designed by default for the use of urine sample cups, as they are often used in similar setups.
Since there are already many wick bait station build guides available online, this guide does not go into detail about the basic construction.
2. Hivora Sense setup
The housing protects the electronics and the camera from weather conditions.
Important points:
- Protection against rain
- Protection against direct moisture
- Sufficient ventilation to prevent condensation
- Stable mounting
- Accessible USB-C port
- Camera viewing opening
- Possibility for later maintenance
First, the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense sensor must be assembled. All parts should be ready. All parts except the SD card are included with the controller.
- Controller PCB
- Camera PCB
- Heat sink
- Wi-Fi antenna
- SD card, not included with the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense
Start by attaching the Wi-Fi antenna to the controller PCB. The connector is located on the upper right edge of the controller PCB when the USB-C port points downward. Apply light pressure to establish the connection. The antenna must be firmly attached.
Next, connect the controller PCB and the camera PCB. Both boards have a connector for this. Carefully press both parts together. Then insert the SD card into the slot underneath the camera module. The SD card protrudes from the slot. This is not a slot where the SD card is completely recessed.
The camera is enclosed by both housing parts. The easiest way is to insert the camera into one half of the housing, then carefully add the second housing part and gently press both parts together. On the opposite side of the USB-C connector, the housing has a feed-through for the Wi-Fi antenna.
Finally, the heat sink can be attached to the camera module. The opening provided in the housing can be used for this.
The assembled camera housing is now pressed into the upper opening of the stand. The USB-C connector and SD card should face backwards.
The stand can now be connected to the mounting ring of the wick bait station. To do this, slide the stand into the groove provided in the mounting ring.
The USB-C cable can now be connected to the camera. The cable is routed backwards through the fork-shaped guide on the stand.
Finally, attach the roof. Again, pay attention to the USB-C cable feed-through. The cable can be carefully guided downward along the stand.
The setup is now ready for use and the software can be installed. A USB-C charger can be used for power supply.
3. Installing the software
The following items are required to install the software:
- Fully assembled Hivora Sense wick bait station attachment
- Laptop or other computer with internet access
- At least a free Hivora account
After successful registration, you will find the menu item “My Wick Bait Stations” on the left side of the menu. Click the “Add Wick Bait Station” button on the right.
A wizard for creating a new wick bait station will open.
First, choose a name. This is only used later to recognize the station in the overview list. Then select the location of the wick bait station on the map.
The location is important if you later want to contribute to public sighting reports and if you want to use the HornetLog mobile app to receive alerts from your own wick bait station. When using the app, the position of the wick bait station is updated during each synchronization and adjusted to the current smartphone location.
At the bottom, you can enable the option to contribute to the public situation overview. This is optional, but very helpful for the community. Complete this step by transferring the software to the device using the “Install” button.
In step 2, the software, also called firmware, is installed on the Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense camera module. To do this, simply click the “Install” button.
Important: Under the browser check, the message “Browser is suitable” must appear. Google Chrome is recommended. Other Chromium-based browsers usually work as well.
Another dialog opens showing details about the software. The environment check field shows whether the browser being used supports the USB connection. If the orange label indicates that the environment is supported, you can continue by clicking “Start Installation”.
The option “Reset wick bait station completely” deletes previous software installations and settings from the board before installation. This includes pins, names and similar data. Data already stored on the SD card remains untouched.
A browser window opens indicating that the website is requesting access to the USB port. Select the USB connection of the controller from the list. Usually this looks similar to usbmodem3101.
Note: If several devices are listed, disconnect all other USB devices. Only the camera module should remain.
Then click “Connect”. The software transfer begins and the software is installed on the controller board. This may take a moment.
After the installation, the window can be closed using the “Close” button.
Next, disconnect the controller from power by unplugging the USB-C cable from the computer. After a few seconds, plug it back in. The controller will restart and load the newly installed software.
In step 3, you decide how the wick bait station should be operated: either offline, for example somewhere in the field without an active internet connection, or via a local Wi-Fi network, for example at home in the garden.
The following section describes the offline setup using the app. Offline operation without the app is also possible, but requires a little more experience with Wi-Fi and browser-based configuration.
Note: For offline operation, the HornetLog app can be used to synchronize the wick bait station.
Select “Offline with the app” and continue.
Leave the next step open for now. Before the setup can be completed, the app must be installed.
Install the HornetLog app on your smartphone. You can find it in the app store under the name HornetLog.
Once the app is installed and opened, switch to the “More” section in the bottom navigation bar.
There you will find the menu item “My Hivora Sense Wick Bait Stations”. Select it. The app will now open the wick bait station overview page.
A new wick bait station can be added using the “+” icon at the bottom right. After tapping “+”, a page appears where you can either scan the QR code or enter the device ID and PIN directly.
The easiest and most error-free option is to continue via QR code. Tap “Scan QR code” and the smartphone camera will open.
Now scan the QR code from the still-open setup dialog using the app. The wick bait station will then automatically appear in the list of stations in the app.
If you have already clicked “Finish setup” too early, you can reopen the QR code dialog at any time using the pencil icon.
From now on, the wick bait station can be synchronized via the app at any time.
To synchronize, tap the “Sync” button.
The following data is synchronized:
- All images from the SD card of the wick bait station into the app
- The smartphone time to the wick bait station
- The smartphone location to the wick bait station
- If the smartphone has an internet connection, the images are synchronized to the cloud. You can then view your own statistics there at any time.
Note: Synchronization runs via Bluetooth. You must therefore be in close proximity to the wick bait station. A blue banner in the station card shows which wick bait station is currently within range.
Advanced setup: offline without app or with active Wi-Fi connection
Each time the camera module starts, for example after disconnecting and reconnecting power, it automatically opens its own small Wi-Fi network. This Wi-Fi network uses the name of the wick bait station.
To access the advanced settings, follow the steps for “Local Wi-Fi operation”.
If you previously chose a different setup path, you can reopen the setup instructions at any time using the small pencil icon.
The relevant instructions can be found under Wi-Fi operation.
From this point on, follow the instructions shown in the dialog.
Hivora Sense web frontend
The web interface automatically starts on the gallery page. At this point, the gallery is still empty.
For offline operation, the configuration is now complete. From this point on, the smart wick bait station is ready for use.
If you want to check sightings offline, connect to the local Wi-Fi access point of the bait station, for example with a smartphone while near the device. Images can then be downloaded using the download button.
If you want more convenience, continue with the following setup.
More convenience is provided by connecting the device to a Wi-Fi network with internet access. In this case, sightings are sent to the hivora.eu cloud. This enables more detailed analysis and, indirectly, notifications in the hornet-log.app, provided that public sightings have been enabled and an alert zone has been set up in the app at the bait station location.
To connect to a Wi-Fi network, simply select the desired Wi-Fi from the list and enter the password. After saving, the Hivora Sense controller restarts. The computer being used should then also be reconnected to the regular Wi-Fi network with internet access.
From now on, sightings will automatically appear in the list of wick bait station sightings.
The setup is now fully complete and the wick bait station is ready for use.
4. Checking the first observations
After the first setup, the following points should be checked regularly:
- Are the images usable?
- Are there false alarms?
- Is there still attractant in the bait station?
- Does the camera fog up?
- Is the power supply stable?
- Is the housing sealed properly?
- Does the camera need to be realigned?
Experience from outdoor use is especially valuable. If you observe something, feel free to share it with the community.
Own improvements
This guide is intentionally kept open. If you have found a better setup, a better housing, a more stable power supply or other practical improvements, please share them.
Helpful information includes:
- Photos
- Material details
- 3D printing settings
- Components used
- Short description of the problem
- Explanation of why your solution works better
Current status
This guide is not final yet.
It serves as a starting point for the community and will be further developed based on practical experience, feedback and tested variants.
Additional information material is available for free use.