all over the world are dealing with the problematic pest, and Coe made it his mission to try to help solve the problem— not an easy job for even the most experienced beekeeper, let alone a junior high student like Coe.
" The female mites lay their eggs in a brood cell," said Coe. " Upon hatching, they feed on a developing bee while it ' s still a pupae. This damages the developing bee, as well as spreads viruses.
" Beekeepers use different chemical treatments to treat for mites," he added. " I use them also when needed. Certain bees however, possess traits that allow them to combat the mites on their own through grooming behavior. My goal is to identify hives that have those traits and from them develop queens that will require less or maybe even no chemical treatments.... The honey sales were already doing more than I could imagine, so this seemed to be the logical next step for myself as well as the business."
When given the opportunity to join the YEA! program for school-age entrepreneurs earlier this year, Coe decided to make this mission the focus of the start-up business he would develop, alongside a number of other young people who were also coming up with clever business ideas. The YEA! program allows students to cooperate with and learn from business and community leaders about developing their own business, including skills like writing a business plan, raising funds, and marketing. Ultimately, those students are able to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors in hopes to gain money to make their businesses a success and win a college scholarship.
Coe won the 2025 edition of YEA!, with the panel choosing his pitch for Gunnar ' s Sweet Queens as the best from among his peers. He got $ 1,000
in start-up money and a four-year scholarship to Campbellsville University for his efforts.
" Participating in the YEA! Program has been probably the most difficult thing I have ever done," said Coe. " The instructors and the mentors are awesome. They help and support you every step of the way. Each week you went in and they poured their knowledge and experience into you.
" However they can only do so much. You have to show up prepared and you have to be willing to dedicate the time, and it takes a lot of time," he added. " It definitely helped my research skills. While I knew about and had dealt with Varroa mites, I spent many hours researching them, miteresistant queens, queen rearing, and the business aspect of it all."
Coe said that winning the YEA! program this year was an honor that he ' ll forever be grateful for, and that all
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16 • SEKY- Southeast Kentucky Life JULY 2025