Krispn Given is the Apiculture Specialist in the Department of Entomology at Purdue University. He is recognized as a world authority in the fields of instrumental insemination and honey bee breeding. Given started breeding bees 26 years ago conducting research with 150-300 colonies looking for solutions to improve honey bee health using selective breeding. Today he continues to run the honey bee breeding program at Purdue University, teaching annual queen-rearing short courses in addition to managing the honey bee laboratory, along with extension and student research activities.
Given is in high demand for his expertise and teaches instrumental insemination classes each year attracting researchers and bee breeders worldwide. Given’s research focuses on identifying, selecting, and enhancing honey bee stock that expresses increased behavioral resistance to Varroa. He was instrumental in developing the “Indiana Mite-biter” (in collaboration with honey bee geneticist Greg Hunt) honey bee strain, where they demonstrated bees that groom themselves free of mites also bite more mites when groomed off the adult bees. It is a heritable trait that is beneficial to beekeepers, resulting in less winter mortality. The primary mechanism of defense is the ability to groom themselves free of varroa mites and bite them.
Krispn was also involved in several research projects in the last nineteen years at Purdue, he is an author and co-author of numerous publications, and books, including scientific and trade journal articles. Given was instrumental in designing innovative instrumental insemination devices made in America with Dale McMahan who holds a degree in mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Krispn is also a past president of the Heartland Honey Bee Breeders Cooperative.