community in California
Honey bee forage in Acton, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: peaches (nearest 2.8 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Acton?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 15, peaking late Mar (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Acton, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Mar 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Peaches: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi SE, blooms late Feb – early Mar
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Acton
Mostly: Southern California Coastal Scrub; Southern California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; California Mesic Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.71 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Peaches: insecticides used on about 86% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Acton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 98th | 27th | 14th |
| California | 78th | 85th | 51st | 31st |
| Southern California Mountains | 95th | 95th | 73rd | 54th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Acton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Desert View Highlands 7 mi · Agua Dulce 8 mi · Palmdale 8 mi · Leona Valley 10 mi · Quartz Hill 11 mi · Littlerock 12 mi
All towns in California · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Acton (34.4961, -118.1839); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.