Golden West Honey Bees: Packages and Queens

Why Golden West Queens from Bodhi Bee Farms?

Golden West Queens represent one of the most promising real-world efforts to reduce beekeeper dependence on chemical mite treatments — driven by performance, not marketing claims.

🧬 Born From a True Survivor Line

These queens trace back to a remarkable untreated colony discovered in 2017 that maintained zero mite counts. From that single hive, Randy Oliver launched a rigorous selective breeding program focused entirely on natural mite tolerance. To learn more about Randy and the development of the Golden West Queen, visit ScientificBeekeeping.com  or https://www.ohbees.com/products/golden-west-queens-randy-oliver 

Today, breeder queens are chosen only from colonies that demonstrate:

• Low mite loads without synthetic miticides
  
  

• Gentle temperament
  
  

• Strong colony health
  
  

• Above-average honey production
  
  

• Proven strength for almond pollination
  
  

🐝 Selected for Performance — Not Appearance

Golden West queens are bred based on results in demanding migratory operations, not cosmetic traits. Color variation is intentionally preserved as a sign of healthy genetic diversity.

🔬 Serious Selection, Real Data

Each season, thousands of mite washes guide breeding decisions. Colonies showing the strongest natural tolerance become the parents of the next generation. By 2023, some yards saw over 50% of colonies maintaining mite levels below 2% all season — without treatments.

While genetics are still being refined, even partially tolerant colonies typically require fewer interventions, saving time, money, and stress on your bees.

🤝 Exclusive Collaboration with Olivarez Honey Bees

Through a partnership with Olivarez Honey Bees, Golden West Queens are produced in isolated mating yards using Oliver drones — combining controlled genetics with hybrid vigor. This allows Randy’s team to focus on breeding progress while OHB delivers production queens to beekeepers nationwide.

🐝 Certified Clean Stock

✔ Certified free from Africanized genetics
✔ Certified free from Small Hive Beetle

🌱 Beekeeper-Focused Support

As your authorized local distributor, Bodhi Bee Farms provides hands-on guidance and queens we proudly use in our own apiaries.