Frequently Asked Questions

We are still testing the new custom PCB for Buzzcopper 2 and cannot commit to volume production until it has passed all tests. It has been delayed by chip shortages but we expect to be able to start production by end July to support user testing and initial training. Meantime, we are using some existing components to create up to 50 Buzzcopper 2Bs for field testing and training preparation with existing testing organisations. If you want to be involved in testing and training planning, please email us.

Yes. The v1 design has the same processor as the v2 custom PCB and runs the same firmware so any v1 devices will be automatically updated via an Over-The-Air update to run the new firmware

The v2 design is now housed in a larger fizzy drinks bottle (2 litre vs 1 litre). This allows two internal solar panels to be accommodated to keep the battery charged. The larger design also allows the bait pot to be bigger and thus hold more bait, which lasts longer. We have designed a custom PCB which keeps the cost of parts low. Finally, some of the components have been improved, which helps with performance.

BuzzCopper v1, which was field tested during 2025, had lots of settings and these could only be changed by logging in to the device’s own internal website. This was problematic for several reasons. Consequently, the main change for v2 is that the number of settings has been reduced and they can all now be changed through a cloud app with the device syncing up with the cloud settings when it connects to WiFi. Device owners will need to register for an account (not yet ready) on this website through which they will be able to manage all their devices.

They are here You will need to request access

The 2 litre PET fizzy drinks bottles are normally sold by supermarkets with a flexible polypropylene cap that does not lock the plastics in place in the bottle neck very well. Some of these caps can be modified to work but it is better to use an MCA2 28mm bottle cap, which are standard on household products that come in a glass bottle. We will supply one with every electronics kit. If you need replacements they can be purchased from a number of online suppliers (search for MCA2 28mm cap). If you cannot source your own we will supply you at 20p each plus postage or you may be able to get one from your nearest beekeeping club if they are making BuzzCoppers too.

If you buy an electronics kit through the website the processor will have been flashed already with the latest version of the firmware. When first started and configured with a working WiFi the device will check-in on the cloud server to see if there is a later version of the firmware. If so, it will automatically update itself to the latest version.

If you want to make a lot of BuzzCoppers we encourage you to become an Assembler (to minimise costs) and a Distributor to your club members for their own personal Buzzcoppers. You can also buy Buzzcoppers for your club, which will give you privileged access to monitor/manage all the BuzzCoppers you have made for your members and to get bottle caps and other items at the maximum discount. You will also become part of the BuzzCopper movement and play a part in shaping the product in future.

Great. Assemblers help to put the parts together. Ideally you need to find a few like-minded people to work with. Between you, you will need at least one 3D printer and someone with soldering skills to do the final assembly of sockets onto the PCB (10 soldered joints). You may like to learn how to flash the BuzzCopper firmware onto new PCBs or devices can be supplied to you already flashed. Distributors distribute the parts and also the assembled Buzzcoppers to the end users. Distributors can also be Assemblers - they do both - and this seems to be the preferred model for volunteer organisations. If you are a Distributor, you will be the first line of support for the devices you have supplied. Once you have registered as a distributor you will be able to monitor all the devices that you registered and distributed to owners. There is a support ticketing system for handling any issues that arise and you can escalate them if you encounter problems you can't address

We can supply parts and services to commercial organisations who want to offer BuzzCopper commercially on a non-exclusive basis as an Assembler or Distributor or both, but as a Channel Partner. BuzzCopper will continue to be offered for sale through the BuzzCopper website which will limit the profit that can be made but we have no objection to devices being sold at different prices to those on the website, but a Channel Partner must enter into a Channel Partner agreement so that the end customer is fully supported and their legal rights with regards to data are protected. BuzzCopper is a registered Trademark but we will license the right to use our trademark to Channel Partners. If you are interested in becoming a Channel Partner, please contact Buzzcopper.

The price of a Buzzcopper is a fraction of any similar commercial device and it is a goal of Buzzcopper to keep the price as low as possible for volunteer and non-profit organisations. We have established a Community-Interest-Company (Insect Alert Systems CIC) to sell and support BuzzCopper. This is a not-for-profit company run by unpaid volunteers. We have, so far, no external grant funding. The price charged for kits or the finished product is a few pounds above the cost of parts, in order to ensure that the CIC is not trading at a loss. This allows us to build up working capital to buy larger batches of parts, keep costs low and to fund further development and to operate the CIC. We will shortly introduce a discounting model for eligible organisations such as groups undertaking organised detection campaigns, and have full price options for for-profit companies. Separate arrangements can be made for government organisations, commercial retail companies and foreign organisations seeking to distribute and sell Buzzcopper products and services.

Initially, we encourage you to use our plastics design and to make suggestions for improvements that can be applied for the benefit of everyone. However, we have no objection to variant designs being tried out and will make the design files available on request.

Ultimately, the design for the PCB will be made available through Open Source however we don't plan to do this until Buzzcopper is operating successfully at scale. Once we have achieved volume production it is unlikely that anyone will be able to make the PCBs cheaper than we can. However, if you are in another country and want large quantities it may be cheaper and quicker for you to order them directly from our PCB supplier. Please get in touch in that case.

We will be making the source code for the device firmware available as Open Source in due course so that people can produce their own devices for other purposes. Our cloud servers are configured to interoperate only with versions of the code built and released by us, hence you will not be able to fork a change to the open BuzzCopper firmware and have your modified device communicate to our cloud server. If you want to contribute ideas you can raise an issue against the open source and we will be pleased to consider it.

We will not sell your personal data. We need you to create an account on the Buzzcopper cloud website so that you can manage your device(s) easily and securely. If you have any concerns you can use an email address and other details, created solely for this site.

Your device will upload any sightings to the buzzcopper cloud website. It is up to you whether it goes anywhere else. We strongly encourage you to forward a positive email alert on to NBU (the National Bee Unit) via [email protected] who will deal with nest location and destruction. In the future, if you wish to pass your sighting to a certified mapping website that is also your decision. In time there may be scientific value in the analysis of aggregated sighting data that we have collected and we reserve the right to pass on images and metadata (but not personal data) to accredited government organisations and academic researchers, if it is in the national interest. Device owners will be given due warning if this is under consideration and we will remove your personal data if you do not wish it to be included.

Don't. Don't even think of it. Asian Hornets are extremely aggressive when they sense their nest is under attack. Several people have died from multiple Asian Hornet stings. A beekeeper's suit is not thick enough to stop a sting and they squirt an irritant into an attacker's face. The National Bee Unit is equipped with proper personal protection. The NBU is the only organisation in UK that is licensed to destroy Asian Hornets and have the capabilities to so safely.

At present we are focusing on Asian Hornets. However, the core design would accommodate detecting other insects. The on-device AI model only recognizes Asian Hornets, European Hornets, wasps and a few other species. It could easily be replaced with an AI model trained on other species. We recognize that changes will be required to use BuzzCopper in other areas of the world where it needs to discriminate against a different range of native species.

The business and legal advice was that we should operate as a Community Interest Company (CIC) and not as a charity, because a CIC would make it more eligible for contracts and government grant funding. The CIC is called Insect Alert Systems CIC, Registration No 17251599, or IAS for short. It is registered with Companies House as a private company limited by guarantee. There are no shares. All the people involved are unpaid volunteers. All profits are reinvested in IAS to help fund more Buzzcoppers and to continue to improve them IAS top priority is to deliver BuzzCopper into the market in mid-2026, in time to detect YLH workers and enable the nests to be found and destroyed as soon as possible.