A device spots and counts honeybees hosting a dangerous parasite

Varroa mites, like the brown one behind the head of this bee, can kill off colonies of honeybees. At the 2023 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, three teens showed off their automated system to detect the pests on bees. It could help beekeepers know when to apply mite-killing pesticides.

Bee-individual/iStock/Getty Images Plus

By McKenzie Prillaman

13 hours ago

DALLAS, Texas — Honeybees are dying across much of their range. A parasite known as the Varroa mite is being blamed for many of the sick and dying colonies. A trio of teens has now developed an automated system that can detect — and track — mite-infected bees as they go in and out of their hives. This could help beekeepers know how many bees are affected — and when it's time to treat the hive with mite-killing chemicals.

Albert Dehne, 19, Daniel Cermann, 19, and Richard Ueltzen, 18, showcased their new imaging system last month at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). This competition is a program of Society for Science (which also publishes this magazine).

The teens graduated from Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium, a high school in Erfurt, Germany. They developed the mite spotter to deal with infestations in their own backyards.

"I basically grew up with bees and the daily chores of beekeeping," explains Daniel. His dad, a beekeeper, has to deal with the pesky mites. As those parasites feed on the bees’ fat, they can also transmit germs. For decades, these mites have been linked with dying honeybees in U.S. and European hives.

Beekeepers can kill the mites with chemicals. But they need to apply just the right amount. Use too little and the chemical won't get rid of the mites. Use too much and it can harm the bees. Current methods to measure infestations are not very accurate, says Richard, or they aren't very timely.

The mites are hard to spot on bees under visible light. To build a better system, the teens experimented to find a wavelength of light that would make the mites stand out better. When viewed with 870-nanometer light — an infrared wavelength — the pests appear much lighter than their bee host. (That light looks purple in the teens’ images and videos.) Bees can't see the infrared light, so it doesn't bother them.

To build a mite detector, the teens attached their UV light system to a beehive. It extends the hive's entrance by about 20 centimeters (8 inches). Two video cameras monitor bees going in and out as they are illuminated by infrared light. A small computer sits on a shelf above the cameras and scans the video. When it detects a bee hosting a mite, it flags the insect as infected. A weatherproof roof over the system protects the equipment and keeps the lighting consistent.

The team trained the system to detect mites using 6,500 images. The teens then tested it on Daniel's backyard hives. It correctly found the pests in about 19 out of every 20 cases.

The new system can also calculate the ratio of infected to non-infected bees. This can help beekeepers figure out if they should use chemicals on the mites. For a small infestation, Daniel says, a beekeeper like his dad might decide not to treat right away. Delaying treatment would save time and money.

"More importantly," Daniel notes, this "can save a lot of stress on the bees." Treating bees can weaken them. That can harm bees already stressed by the mites.

In the future, the trio aims to monitor the bees’ undersides for mites as well. They also want to train the system to detect other parasites. For now, though, the three friends — who now attend different colleges — were excited to be reunited.

Albert, Daniel and Richard won third place in the robotics and intelligent machines division and shared a $1,000 prize. They also received honorable mention from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. That award grants the teens memberships to the society.

This team was among more than 1,600 high school finalists from 64 countries, regions and territories. Regeneron ISEF doled out nearly $9 million in prizes this year. This program has been run by Society for Science since the annual event started in 1950.

annual: Adjective for something that happens every year. (in botany) A plant that lives only one year, so it usually has a showy flower and produces many seeds.

artificial intelligence: A type of knowledge-based decision-making exhibited by machines or computers. The term also refers to the field of study in which scientists try to create machines or computer software capable of intelligent behavior.

engineering: The field of research that uses math and science to solve practical problems. Someone who works in this field is known as an engineer.

gauge: A device to measure the size or volume of something. For instance, tide gauges track the ever-changing height of coastal water levels throughout the day. Or any system or event that can be used to estimate the size or magnitude of something else. (v. to gauge) The act of measuring or estimating the size of something.

high school: A designation for grades nine through 12 in the U.S. system of compulsory public education. High-school graduates may apply to colleges for further, advanced education.

host: (in biology and medicine) The organism (or environment) in which some other thing resides. Humans may be a temporary host for food-poisoning germs or other infective agents.

infestation: A parasitic community of pests, such as when wasps make their home on the porch of an abandoned house.

infrared: A type of electromagnetic radiation invisible to the human eye. The name incorporates a Latin term and means "below red." Infrared light has wavelengths longer than those visible to humans. Other invisible wavelengths include X-rays, radio waves and microwaves. Infrared light tends to record the heat signature of an object or environment.

insect: A type of arthropod that as an adult will have six segmented legs and three body parts: a head, thorax and abdomen. There are hundreds of thousands of insects, which include bees, beetles, flies and moths.

mite: An invertebrate belonging to the broad group of animals known as arachnids, which also include spiders and ticks. None of these are insects, although like insects they belong to the larger umbrella group, called arthropods (named for their members’ segmented legs).

monitor: To test, sample or watch something, especially on a regular or ongoing basis.

parasite: An organism that gets benefits (such as food) from another species, called a host, while usually causing some degree of harm or discomfort to the host. Classic examples of parasites include ticks, fleas and tapeworms.

ratio: The relationship between two numbers or amounts. When written out, the numbers usually are separated by a colon, such as a 50:50. That would mean that for every 50 units of one thing (on the left) there would also be 50 units of another thing (represented by the number on the right).

Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair: (Regeneron ISEF) Initially launched in 1950, this competition is one of three created (and still run) by the Society for Science. Each year now, approximately 1,600 high school students from more than 60 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research at Regeneron ISEF and to compete for an average of almost $9 million in prizes.

Society for Science: A nonprofit organization created in 1921 and based in Washington, D.C. Since its founding, the Society has been promoting not only public engagement in scientific research but also the public understanding of science. It created and continues to run three renowned science competitions: the Regeneron Science Talent Search (begun in 1942), the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (initially launched in 1950) and MASTERS (from 2010 to 2022) and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (launched in 2023). The Society also publishes award-winning journalism: in Science News (launched in 1922) and Science News Explores (created in 2003).

stress: (in biology) A factor — such as unusual temperatures, movements, moisture or pollution — that affects the health of a species or ecosystem. (in psychology) A mental, physical, emotional or behavioral reaction to an event or circumstance (stressor) that disturbs a person or animal's usual state of being or places increased demands on a person or animal; psychological stress can be either positive or negative. (in physics) Pressure or tension exerted on a material object.

system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body's circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation's railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.

transmit: (n. transmission) To send or pass along.

virus: Tiny infectious particles consisting of genetic material (RNA or DNA) surrounded by protein. Viruses can reproduce only by injecting their genetic material into the cells of living creatures. Although scientists frequently refer to viruses as live or dead, in fact many scientists argue that no virus is truly alive. It doesn't eat like animals do, or make its own food the way plants do. It must hijack the cellular machinery of a living cell in order to survive.

wavelength: The distance between one peak and the next in a series of waves, or the distance between one trough and the next. It's also one of the "yardsticks" used to measure radiation. Visible light — which, like all electromagnetic radiation, travels in waves — includes wavelengths between about 380 nanometers (violet) and about 740 nanometers (red). Radiation with wavelengths shorter than visible light includes gamma rays, X-rays and ultraviolet light. Longer-wavelength radiation includes infrared light, microwaves and radio waves.

McKenzie Prillaman is the Spring 2023 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor's degree in neuroscience with a minor in bioethics from the University of Virginia and a master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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