In Brittany, France, a former sailor-turned-beekeeper, Marc Lefevre, is saving bees with a smart invention! 🐝 After losing half his hives to invasive Asian hornets in 2016, he designed an eco-friendly trap that captures hornet queens while letting other insects go free. 🛠️ His company, ApiGuard Solutions, now operates in 18 European countries and is preparing to enter the U.S. market. With a dedicated team and over €1M in annual revenue, Marc’s mission to protect bees is buzzing with success! 🌟
In the heart of Brittany, France, a former sailor-turned-beekeeper is making waves with a revolutionary invention designed to combat the invasive Asian hornet. Meet Marc Lefevre, a man whose determination to protect his bees led to an innovation that has now crossed European borders and is set to enter the American market. 🌟
Marc’s journey began in 2016, when a devastating invasion of Asian hornets wiped out nearly half of his bee colonies. Refusing to let the invaders win, he started experimenting with traps. After months of trials, he crafted a unique device that effectively captures Asian hornet queens while allowing other insects to escape freely. This simple yet effective design became the foundation of ApiGuard Solutions, a company Marc founded in 2019.
What started as a small project in his living room soon grew beyond expectations. By 2021, Marc’s invention won a coveted award at the prestigious Lépine competition, propelling his business to new heights. Today, ApiGuard Solutions operates from a spacious 500-square-meter workshop in Plouzané, with a team of eight passionate employees. With an annual revenue exceeding one million euros, the company supplies its innovative traps to individual beekeepers and local governments across 18 European countries.
Marc’s trap is a triumph of simplicity and sustainability. It features a container filled with natural bait and a mesh-covered box equipped with narrow funnels that trap Asian hornets while letting beneficial insects escape. This environmentally friendly design is helping protect bee populations without harming the broader ecosystem. 🐝
As demand soars, Marc has ambitious plans. He aims to launch a crowdfunding campaign to expand to a larger production facility and provide training on sustainable pest control methods using safe sulfur dioxide treatments. With interest growing rapidly in the United States, his invention stands as a beacon of hope in the battle against invasive species.
