Olivarez Honey Bees

What Olivarez Honey Bees does

Olivarez Honey Bees (OHB) is a family-owned commercial beekeeping operation headquartered in Orland, California, that breeds and sells queen bees, package bees, and 5-frame nucleus colonies, while also providing pollination services, bee nutrition products, and raw honey. Founded by Ray Olivarez in 1985 after a 1983 flood destroyed the family's apiary, the company now operates more than 16,000 colonies across Northern California, Hawaii's Big Island (via its wholly owned subsidiary Big Island Queens), and Montana, enabling year-round queen production. OHB sells four queen varieties (Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West/Randy Oliver genetics) at $42-$50 per queen and package bees at $160-$190 per unit, with premium genetics sourced through exclusive partnerships with Meadow Ridge Enterprises (Saskatraz), Randy Oliver of Golden West Bees, and Marla Spivak's Tech Transfer Team (Minnesota Hygienic and VSH traits). The company transports bees in proprietary climate-controlled trailers and is certified free of Africanized genetics and Small Hive Beetle.

OHB serves hobbyist beekeepers, sideliners, commercial beekeepers, and almond growers in Northern California through a multi-channel go-to-market: an annual Beekeeper Day event in Orland, CA; direct e-commerce with USPS Ground Advantage shipping (late March through mid-May); an authorized distributor network across 17 U.S. states including Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin; and a dedicated commercial sales channel for bulk orders and pollination contracts. Pricing follows a unit-pricing, pay-as-you-go model with order caps and a $50 non-refundable processing fee for late cancellations. The company also sells recurring consumables under the OHB Nutrition brand (Sucrose Syrup, VolBee Blend, HFCS 55, BeeForce pollen substitute, bulk pollen patties) and offers a Hive Rebuild service, while honey is commercialized downstream through the family-affiliated Chico Honey Company.

The business is privately held by the Olivarez family across three generations, with the founders' three children joining in 2014 to formalize succession following the departure of long-time partner Dan Cummings. OHB maintains industry affiliations with the American Honey Producers Association, American Bee Federation, California Bee Breeders Association, Bee Informed Partnership, and Montana State Beekeepers Association, and operates without external institutional investors or disclosed funding rounds.

Name

Olivarez Honey Bees

Legal name

Olivarez Honey Bees, Inc.

Website

https://ohbees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Olivarez Honey Bees is a family-owned commercial beekeeper breeding Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West queen bees and package bees across 16,000+ colonies in Northern California, Hawaii, and Montana, serving hobbyists, sideliners, commercial beekeepers, and almond growers throughout North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Orland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Queen Bee Sales: OHB breeds and sells Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West (Randy Oliver) queen bees year-round. Queens are shipped via UPS (overnight in California) or USPS (2-day from Hawaii) in specialized cages with attendants. Prices range from $42-$50 per queen depending on variety.
2. Package Bee Sales: Premium package bees containing 2-3 pounds of bees plus one mated, marked queen. Available in Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West varieties. Distributed via Beekeeper Day pickup, USPS shipping, or authorized distributors across North America. Prices $160-$190 per package.
3. Honey Sales: Raw, unfiltered honey from Northern California, Hawaii, and Montana hives sold through Chico Honey Company (founded by Josh, Ryan, and Haley Olivarez). Available through California retailers and mail-order via ChicoHoneyCo.com.
4. Pollination Services: OHB transports bees to local almond orchards in early spring for pollination services, providing nutrient-rich diet buildup for brood season ahead. Partnership with almond growers in Northern California.
5. Bee Nutrition Products: OHB sells bee nutrition products including Sucrose Syrup, VolBee Blend syrup, HFCS 55, and BeeForce premium pollen substitute. Also offers bulk soft pollen patties (18% crude protein) and hive rebuild services installing packages with queens.
6. 5-Frame Nuc Sales: 5-frame nucleus colonies with established colonies containing 2-3 frames of brood, 5 frames of bees, and quality OHB queens. Available for pickup at Beekeeper Day events with Saskatraz, Italian, or Carniolan queens. Price $240 per nuc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Olivarez Honey Bees breeds and sells queen bees (Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West varieties), 3-lb package bees containing mated queens, and 5-frame nucleus colonies for hobbyist, sideliner, and commercial beekeepers across North America. The company also provides commercial pollination services primarily for almond growers in Northern California, produces raw honey sold through Chico Honey Company, and sells bee nutrition products including VolBee Blend syrup, BeeForce pollen substitute, and bulk pollen patties.

Product overview

Olivarez Honey Bees (OHB) is a family-owned beekeeping business operating for over 50 years, offering a comprehensive portfolio of bee-related products and services. The core offerings include four queen bee varieties (Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West/Randy Oliver) available as individual queens or in 3-lb package bees with mated queens, plus 5-frame nucleus colonies. The company also provides nutrition products including BeeForce pollen substitute, VolBee Blend syrup, and bulk pollen patties, along with a hive rebuild service. Additional offerings include pollination services for commercial growers and an annual Beekeeper Day event featuring demonstrations and supplies. Honey is sold through affiliated Chico Honey Company. All bees are certified free from Africanized genetics and Small Hive Beetle, and are transported in OHB's proprietary climate-controlled trailers. OHB maintains colonies in Northern California, Montana, and Hawaii's Big Island for year-round queen and package bee production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Island Queens: Queen bee production operation on Hawaii's Big Island producing strong, healthy queens year-round due to the warm climate and abundant flowering plants.
• OHB Nutrition
• Chico Honey Company

Products and services

• OHB Italian Queens Premium Italian honey bee queens bred for gentleness, prolific brood production, hygienic behavior, and excellent honey production; suitable for beginners.
• OHB Carniolan Queens Carniolan honey bee queens known for winter hardiness, rapid spring buildup, tracheal mite resistance, and exceptional honey production.
• OHB Saskatraz Queens Saskatraz hybrid queens developed in Canada, selected for excellent honey production, wintering ability, varroa tolerance, and resistance to brood diseases.
• Golden West Queens (Randy Oliver) Queens bred by Randy Oliver's Golden West Bees, selected for mite resistance through natural selection without synthetic miticides since 2001, with emphasis on gentleness and honey production.
• Big Island Queens Queens raised year-round on Hawaii's Big Island at 1000 feet elevation, where 75-85 degree temperatures and abundant flowering plants create optimal conditions.
• OHB Carniolan Package Bees Package bees containing 3 lbs of Carniolan bees with one mated, marked queen and feed can for transit.
• OHB Italian Package Bees Package bees containing 3 lbs of Italian bees with one mated, marked queen; recommended for beginners due to gentle temperament.
• OHB Saskatraz Package Bees Package bees containing 3 lbs of Saskatraz hybrid bees with queen; selected for varroa tolerance, winter survival, and honey production.
• Golden West Package Bees (Randy Oliver) Package bees with Golden West genetics bred for mite tolerance, gentleness, and strong field performance.
• USPS Direct Package Bees Package bees shipped via USPS Ground Advantage Hold for Pickup, including Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, and Golden West varieties.
• OHB 5-Frame Nuc Established colonies with 5 frames including 2-3 frames of brood, a quality OHB queen, and bees; available with Italian, Carniolan, or Saskatraz queens.
• VolBee Blend Syrup Nectar-inspired sugar syrup with balanced mono- and disaccharide sugars formulated for brood activity and hive weight gain.
• BeeForce Pollen Substitute Premium pollen substitute formulated for rapid brood buildup and hive health, with ultra-fine particles and balanced amino acids, vitamins, and nutrients.
• OHB Bulk Soft Pollen Patties Soft pollen patties with 18% crude protein and 4% natural pollen to support brood development and colony growth during buildup periods.
• Honey Raw honey produced from hives in Northern California, Hawaii's Big Island, and Montana's sweet clover fields; available through Chico Honey Company.
• Pollination Services Commercial pollination services, primarily for almond orchards in Northern California during early spring.

Quantifiable outcome

• OHB Certified free from Africanized Genetics
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Randy Oliver / Golden West BeescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHB collaborates with Randy Oliver of Golden West Bees to produce and sell Golden West queens. OHB provides isolated mating yards to better control the drone pool, while the Olivers contribute their successful selective breeding program for mite-resistant bees. This partnership allows OHB to sell open-mated Oliver queens mated to Oliver drones while supporting the Olivers' efforts to develop varroa-resistant stock.
• Meadow Ridge Enterprises (Albert J. Robertson)coreTechnology or IntegrationOHB is the exclusive commercial source for Saskatraz queens, using breeder queens constructed in Saskatchewan, Canada by Meadow Ridge Enterprises (CEO Albert J. Robertson). The Saskatraz breeding program (established 2005) develops disease-resistant, high-honey-producing hybrid bees through recurrent natural selection for varroa tolerance.
• Marla Spivak / Bee Informed PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHB was a founding Member of the Bee Informed Partnership (formerly Tech Transfer Team) and worked with renowned apiary researcher Marla Spivak to identify and maintain desirable traits in their stock. The collaboration infused 'Minnesota Hygienic' and 'VSH' traits into OHB Italian stock for enhanced disease and mite resistance.
• Dan Cummings (Almond Grower)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRay met almond grower Dan Cummings and began a partnership spanning nearly 10 years. During that time, with Dan's business experience and Ray's work ethic, OHB became involved in all aspects of the bee industry including pollination services, queen and package bee production, and honey production. Dan left the business in 2014.
• Authorized Package Bee DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOHB products are distributed exclusively through authorized package bee distributors across 17 U.S. states. Distributors include Harlow Family Farms (Alaska), Pierco Inc (California), A to Zee's Apiary Services (Colorado), Cedar Lane Apiaries (Connecticut), Blue Ridge Honey Company (Georgia), HillCo and Meyer Bees (Illinois), Spring Valley Honey Farms (Iowa), Valor Honey (Kansas), A.W.S. Bees, Great Lakes Bee Company, and Harmony Hives (Michigan), Nature's Nectar LLC (Minnesota), Harmony Hives (New York), Hartville Honey Bee Farm and Queen Right Colonies (Ohio), The Bee Supply (Texas), Knight Family Honey (Utah), Vermont Beekeeping Supply (Vermont), Rainy Day Bees and Snohomish Bee Company (Washington), and Hansen Honey Farm (Wisconsin).
• Chico Honey CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHoney from OHB hives is sold through Chico Honey Company, founded by Josh, Ryan, and Haley Olivarez (family members). Chico Honey Company offers pure, raw, unfiltered honey through California retailers and mail-order via ChicoHoneyCo.com.
• Industry AssociationsminorOthersOHB maintains affiliations with American Honey Producers Association (AHPA), American Bee Federation (ABF), California Bee Breeders Association (CBBA), Bee Informed Partnership, ScientificBeeKeeping.com (Rand Oliver), and Montana State Beekeepers Association.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mann Lake Ltd. Mann Lake is a major US beekeeping supply manufacturer and supplier offering hives, tools, and queen rearing equipment to hobbyist and commercial beekeepers. It overlaps with OHB as a one-stop supplier in the US beekeeping ecosystem, though Mann Lake's core is equipment/woodware rather than queen breeding.
• Dadant & Sons: Dadant is one of the oldest US beekeeping supply companies, producing equipment, medication, and queen bees for hobbyists and commercial operations. Comparable to OHB as a long-standing US beekeeping brand with both supply and queen-breeding lines.
• GloryBee: GloryBee is a US honey producer and beekeeping supply distributor based in Oregon. Comparable to OHB as a vertically integrated Pacific Northwest operator producing honey, bees, and supplies for hobbyists and sideliners.

Direct peers

• BeeWeaver Apiaries: BeeWeaver breeds and sells Italian and Buckfast queens and package bees in Texas, and is one of the largest US package bee producers. Directly comparable to OHB in queen genetics, package bee sales, and distribution to commercial and hobbyist beekeepers.
• Strachan Apiaries: Strachan Apiaries produces and ships Italian and Carniolan queens and package bees across the US, including through direct shipping. Highly comparable to OHB in queen variety, package bee format, and direct-to-customer distribution.
• Koehnen & Sons: Koehnen & Sons is a large California-based package bee and queen producer serving commercial and hobbyist markets across the western US. Comparable to OHB in production scale, queen breeding, and package bee distribution in the same California ecosystem.
• Hardeman Apiaries: Hardeman Apiaries is a Georgia-based package bee and queen producer selling across the southeastern US. Comparable to OHB as a regional package bee producer with direct shipping and distributor channels.
• Mountain Sweet Honey / White Horse Apiaries: White Horse Apiaries (Mountain Sweet Honey) breeds Italian and Carniolan queens and package bees in northeast Georgia and ships direct. Comparable to OHB as a US queen/package bee producer with direct shipping and commercial beekeeper focus.

Emerging players

• Wildflower Meadows: Wildflower Meadows breeds Varroa-resistant VSH-Italian queens in California using instrumentally inseminated breeder stock. Comparable to OHB in California-based disease-resistant queen breeding, though OHB's operation is significantly larger.
• Betterbee: Betterbee is a New York-based beekeeping supplier that also raises and sells its own queens and nucleus colonies. Comparable to OHB at the intersection of queen breeding and beekeeper supply, though more weighted toward equipment and education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ohbeeshq
• Facebookfacebook.com/ohbeeshq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olivarez-honey-bees-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Olivarez Honey Bees