Teen scientist from Orlando working to save honeybee population

Florida’s Fourth Estate

A teen scientist from Orlando has developed a potion from beer that might help save the ailing honeybee population.

18-year-old Atreya Manaswi has devoted the last five years of his life to saving the bee population. The young man has worked with the United States Department of Agriculture, University of Florida and spoken in front of the United Nations.

It all started when a friend’s grandfather told the teen about the huge decline in bees. Manaswi, only 12 years old at the time, promised the man he would find a solution. “Something is happening to them within the past few decades,” said Manaswi.

And the numbers back up his claims. According to the USDA, commercial honeybee populations have been dropping for years. Manaswi started attending conferences and lectures. Before he knew it, the preteen found himself inside a lab researching solutions.

“It’s really intimidating at first. I was 12 years old, and I didn’t really know what I was doing,” Manaswi said.

Manaswi decided to target two specific problems the bees are having: The pests and the pesticides are hurting colonies the most.

Soon the budding scientist started testing different solutions inside a small trap in the hive. The goal is to lure tiny pests called the small hive beetle which drown in the solution while the bees go about their work. If left to their own devices, the beetles destroy eggs, honey, and pollen stores in the comb while spreading diseases in the hive.

After countless trial and error, Manaswi found a compound made of beer that was able to entice the beetles at an exciting rate.

“It’s actually 33 times better than the organic agent beekeepers are previously using which was apple cider vinegar,” Manaswi said.

The teen scientist also says his compound is way less expensive than traditional pesticides. It costs about $14 to get started.

For all his work, Manaswi has won a cacophony of prizes, most recently the Barron Prize. The organization selected 15 young heroes making positive change in the ecosystem and improving the environment.

The beer blend is currently under peer review to see if other scientists can replicate the low-cost, eco-friendly, and effective answer for the bees and beekeepers.

Manaswi has racked up many awards and many bee stings along the way to success.

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