Students develop AI to identify beehive issues with high accuracy.

Two students, Ethan Liang from San Jose, California, and Rory Hu from Massachusetts, have developed a tool that could revolutionize hive management for beekeepers. They connected through a youth pollinator advocacy group and shared concerns about existing tools failing to detect hive issues early. Their creation, BeeGuard, is an AI-driven web application that monitors hives for problems like mite infestations and missing queens before they become apparent. This project was showcased at the 2026 Conrad Challenge, aiming to protect honeybees, which are crucial for a third of the global food supply.