{"id":41901,"date":"2025-03-01T07:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T01:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/?post_type=story&p=41901"},"modified":"2025-02-28T14:17:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T08:47:15","slug":"diana-awardee-atreya-manaswi-honeybee-conservation-indian-american","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/diana-awardee-atreya-manaswi-honeybee-conservation-indian-american\/","title":{"rendered":"Diana Awardee Atreya Manaswi is leading a revolution in honeybee conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

(March 1, 2025)<\/strong> A fishing trip changed everything for Atreya Manaswi. In 2018, the then 12-year-old from Windermere, Florida, was out on a lake with a friend and his grandfather, an experienced beekeeper. The conversation turned to bees, and Atreya learned for the first time about the drastic decline in honeybee populations and its consequences for agriculture and the environment. That moment sparked a curiosity that would transform into a six-year journey of research, innovation, and advocacy. Today, at 17, he is the winner of the Diana Award 2024, has received the Regeneron ISEF Grand Award, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, and was recognized as a Central Floridian of the Year Finalist\u2014all for his groundbreaking work in honeybee conservation.<\/p>\n

\"Atrey

From Curiosity to Scientific Innovation<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Bees play a vital role in global agriculture, pollinating about 80 percent of flowering crops that feed humans and animals alike. Yet, their populations have been declining due to multiple factors, including the small hive beetle, an invasive pest that attacks weakened hives, consumes pollen and honey, and forces colonies to abandon their nests. Chemical pesticides have traditionally been used to fight them, but these are expensive, harmful to the environment, and sometimes toxic to the bees themselves. Atreya set out to find a more sustainable solution.<\/p>\n

The journey was anything but easy. He spent countless hours researching ways to tackle the problem and, in the process, taught himself coding, 3D printing, and data analysis. His weekends were spent in a lab hours away from home, where his mother, Sonia Oberoi, would drive him with all his research equipment. \u201cAlmost every Saturday or Sunday, it\u2019s Bartow, a place that\u2019s an hour-and-a-half drive, one way,” she said. “So, we would be in the car with all the traps and ingredients. Bees are a very important part of our life now \u2026 it is our moral responsibility and obligation to the world as well, so I\u2019m doing my little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Birth of BeetleGuard AI: A Game-Changer for Beekeepers<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Atreya\u2019s persistence led him to develop BeetleGuard AI, an innovative pest management system that helps beekeepers combat small hive beetles without resorting to harmful chemicals. The system consists of a 3D-printed IoT trap that uses a beer-based bait to attract beetles and machine learning technology to monitor and predict pest populations. His research found that the fermentation compounds in beer were highly effective at luring beetles, performing 33 times better than apple cider vinegar, a common natural bait used by beekeepers. To make the system more accessible, he designed a reusable version of the trap using 3D printing, providing a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to commercial pesticides.<\/p>\n

\"Atreya

\u201cI\u2019ve worked over the past five years to try and create something beekeepers can use to manage this pest in their hives,\u201d the Global Indian<\/em><\/a> said. The response from beekeepers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many seeing it as a promising alternative to chemical treatments. His invention has the potential to reduce pesticide dependency while improving hive health, making it a breakthrough in honeybee conservation.<\/p>\n

Recognition and Global Impact<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Atreya\u2019s work extends beyond research. He has actively contributed to the scientific community by co-authoring a research paper published in the Journal of Applied Entomology and working in collaboration with the USDA, Stanford University, and the University of Florida. His passion for conservation has also led him to become a public speaker, advocating for pollinator protection on international platforms. He has addressed audiences at the United Nations, the World Food Forum, and various science conferences, using these platforms to emphasize the urgency of protecting pollinators.<\/p>\n

Inspiring the Next Generation of Young Scientists<\/strong><\/h5>\n

His commitment to environmental education inspired him to write a children\u2019s book, The Bee Story, which raises awareness about the importance of bees and the dangers they face. The book has reached over 10,000 readers globally, and Atreya has personally visited schools and libraries to share the story with young students. He also founded the International Youth STEM Society, a nonprofit organization that supports young scientists across 25 countries, providing them with opportunities to engage in research and innovation.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A post shared by Atreya Manaswi (@atreyamanaswi)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n