European Citizen Science App to Monitor Hornet Abundance in Apiaries
Hornets are becoming an increasing concern for many beekeepers across Europe. Despite growing attention on the issue, large-scale standardized data on hornet abundance across apiaries and regions remain very limited.
The iHORNETS application aims to address this gap by creating a collaborative monitoring network capable of generating comparable data on hornet abundance.
A collaborative effort to better understand hornet pressure on apiaries
These are some of the questions behind the iHORNETS, a new citizen science mobile application specifically designed for beekeepers (both professional and non-professional) who want to monitor hornet abundance in their apiaries in a simple and standardized way.
Core Inquiries
How many hornets are present around apiaries?
Do abundance levels change between regions or countries?
And how can this information be monitored consistently at a European scale?
How it works: A simple and standardized methodology
The entire process only takes a few minutes.
Position yourself at a safe distance from a single hive in the apiary (without disturbing the bees). Ensure you have a clear view of the hive entrance.
For 30 seconds, count the number of hornets attempting to catch bees or flying in front of that single hive. Ensure not to count the same individual twice. Enter your observations into the app!
Repeat the process on additional hives, with a minimum of five hives per apiary. Hives should be selected randomly, regardless of hornet abundance.
Important Rule
Counts must always be performed on a single hive, never on the entire apiary. Observations with zero hornets are equally important and should always be recorded.
Collected data
All submitted data are centralized in a scientific database managed by the research team. These data will soon be accessible through an online dashboard, allowing participants to explore and visualize the results.
Over time, these records will help map hornet abundance across regions and gain deeper insights into their impact on beekeeping.
Do you have questions?
ihornetsapp@gmail.comResearch Team
Sílvia Abril (Universitat de Girona)
Tim Adriaens (Research Institute for Nature and Forest)
Josep M. Bas Lay (Universitat de Girona)
Alessandro Cini (Università di Pisa)
Eric Darrouzet (Université de Tours)
Fermí Garriga (Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya)
Cayetano Herrera López (Universitat de les Illes Balears)
María del Mar Leza Salord (Universitat de les Illes Balears)
Ana Rita Lopes (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança)
Alice Pinto (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança)
Núria Roura-Pascual (Universitat de Girona)
Funding & Support
The development of iHORNETS has been carried out within the framework of the IABEEGUARD project, led by the Universitat de les Illes Balears in collaboration with the Universitat de Girona – Reference PID2023-149487OA-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ and FEDER/UE.
Project Partners
