Source: Cornell
Students won the $3,000 grand prize at the 2026 Digital Agriculture Hackathon for creating a pheromone-based misting system designed to deter destructive driver ants. Inspired by work with the Jane Goodall Institute, the team proposed a technology that releases pheromones to misdirect ants away from targets such as beehives without harming the environment. Driver ants are a major threat to beekeepers, poultry producers, wildlife and crops across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The idea emerged after students witnessed harmful and risky methods—like pouring gasoline around animal enclosures—to repel ants at wildlife sanctuaries. Their system aims to provide a safer, sustainable alternative. The team plans to target large-scale beekeepers first to generate revenue while subsidizing solutions for small subsistence farmers and wildlife sanctuaries. Hosted by the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture, the hackathon brought 116 students together to develop innovative agricultural technologies addressing sustainability, climate-smart farming and animal, environmental and human health.
Read the full story HERE: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/03/winning-digital-ag-idea-targets-killer-ants