Explore selected interviews and conversations with Professor Amro Zayed about bee health, genomics, behaviour, and pollinator conservation.

Radio & Podcasts

BeeCSI: What’s Killing Our Bees?
The CRAM Podcast | January 2022
A conversation about bee health and the BeeCSI project’s efforts to understand the stressors affecting honey bee colonies.
Episode information

Robust Field Study Confirms Neonic Toxicity and Bees
Radio Canada International | June 29, 2017
Amro discusses field research on neonicotinoid exposure and its effects on honey bee health, including the added risks of pesticide mixtures.
Read and listen

Honey Bee Research in Ontario and Laboratory Resources for Beekeepers
Ontario Animal Health Network Veterinary Podcasts | February 28, 2017
An interview about the lab’s research and how it addresses challenges facing Ontario beekeepers, alongside discussions with animal health specialists.
Listen to the podcast

Beekeepers Abuzz over Breeding Honey Bees for Canadian Environment
CBC Radio — The Current | November 2015
How genomics can help beekeepers breed honey bees suited to Canadian winters and local disease pressures.
Interview summary and CBC link

Building a Better Canadian Honey Bee
Radio Canada International | November 9, 2015
A discussion of how genetic and protein markers could support selective breeding for healthier, more resilient honey bee colonies.
Read and listen

Conducting Sweet Research in Honey Bee Behavior
People Behind the Science | June 9, 2014
A conversation about Amro’s journey into science, the genetics of honey bee behaviour, and life as a researcher.
Listen to the interview

Television

The Bees’ Needs
TVO — The Agenda with Steve Paikin | February 8, 2016
A panel discussion featuring Amro Zayed on bees and the challenges facing them.
Read the transcript

News Interviews

World Bee Day: Protecting Pollinators
CBC News and CBC Radio | May 20, 2022
Amro discusses threats to bees and how habitat creation, public participation, and environmental protection can support pollinator conservation.
Read the CBC story · Lab summary

Written Interviews & Expert Commentary

Selected articles featuring interviews and commentary from Professor Amro Zayed on bee biology, pollinator conservation, and environmental change.

2023

• The Weather Network — Why it appears there is an invasion of wasps near summer’s end
  August 8, 2023. Amro explains why wasps become more noticeable late in summer and how changes within their colonies influence their behaviour.

2022

• CBC News — World Bee Day, a chance to remind people how important, and how threatened, the insects are
  May 20, 2022. Commentary on protecting pollinators through better habitats, public participation, and environmental policy.

2021

• EcoWatch — Western Honey Bees Most Likely Originated in Asia, Researchers Find
  December 10, 2021. An interview about the lab’s genomic research tracing the evolutionary origins of western honey bees.
• Nature Middle East — How the Western honey bee spread its wings out of Asia
  December 9, 2021. Amro discusses honey bee origins, adaptation to diverse environments, and the importance of worker behaviour in evolution.

2017

• Scientific American — Widely Used Pesticide Is a Buzzkill for Honeybees
  June 30, 2017. Commentary on field research examining the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees.
• PBS NewsHour — Neonicotinoid pesticides are slowly killing bees
  2017. Amro explains how bees encounter pesticides beyond treated crops and how prolonged exposure affects colony health.
• Los Angeles Times — Field tests show how pesticides can wreak havoc on honeybees
  June 29, 2017. Pesticide exposure and colony health.
• The Washington Post — Controversial pesticides may threaten queen bees. Alternatives could be worse.
  June 29, 2017. Commentary on pesticide management.
• Radio Canada International — Robust field study confirms neonic toxicity and bees
  June 29, 2017. A written feature and accompanying audio interview about pesticide exposure under field conditions and the effects of pesticide mixtures.

2015

• Radio Canada International — Building a better Canadian honey bee
  November 9, 2015. A written feature and audio interview exploring how genomics can support selective breeding for healthier honey bees suited to Canadian conditions.

University News & Research Features

These university-produced stories feature Amro’s commentary on research from the lab and its collaborators.

• York University — Honey bees experience multiple health stressors out-in-the-field
  April 17, 2024. Understanding bee health through networks of interacting environmental stressors.
• York University — Where did western honey bees come from? New research finds the sweet spot
  December 3, 2021. Reconstructing honey bee origins and dispersal using genomics.
• York University — Scientists set to start $10M project to create health diagnosis tool for bees
  September 18, 2019. Introducing BeeCSI and its goal of developing molecular tools for assessing bee health.
• York University / EurekAlert! — Biologists identify honeybee “clean” genes known for improving survival
  2019. Identifying genetic associations with hygienic behaviour to support healthier colonies.
• York University — New test finds memory of honeybee foragers better than nurse bees
  July 16, 2018. Investigating how worker roles relate to spatial learning and memory.

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