Oliwia Myczkowska, 18, runs the business alongside her 76-year-old grandfather, Professor Marian Surowiec. The high school student jokes that the average age in their start-up is more typical of someone starting a business alone. This dynamic duo sells innovative Varroa Stopper devices using ultrasound technology to combat the dangerous mites that parasitise bees.

The journey of Bee Healthy Honey began with a pressing problem faced by its founders. Myczkowska explained to the W Katowicach website: "The story of our emitter started in 2019 when we discovered the Varroa Destructor parasite at our apiary in Katowice. We wanted to find a treatment specifically suited to the bees' needs. Unfortunately, at the time, only chemical solutions were available. These treatments are not only harmful to bee health, beekeepers, and consumers but are also expensive and packaged in single-use plastic."

Professor Surowiec, who has had a long scientific career that included work with ultrasound at Durham University in the UK, was inspired to explore whether ultrasound could provide an ecological and economical method to control the dangerous bee parasite. He explained, "We built a simple device—the first prototype of an ultrasonic emitter. We immediately began research to find the right frequencies. After numerous trials and pilot studies, we created our environmentally friendly Varroa Stopper emitter."

The Varroa Stopper’s ultrasonic vibrations prevent the parasites from feeding while remaining harmless to the bees. One of its significant advantages is that mites do not develop resistance to the device’s effects, a common issue with chemical treatments. Additionally, the device is compact, requires no handling by the beekeeper, and can be used for years.

Myczkowska and Surowiec’s start-up, Bee Healthy Honey, has gained recognition and won multiple competitions, including NCBR’s AKCES, TeenCrunch, ARYA Accelerate, and Sebastian Kulczyk’s Young Incredibles. The company now successfully markets its innovative product, making strides in bee protection and sustainable agriculture.

Source: wkatowicach.eu