community in California

Honey bee forage in Bear Valley Springs, California

Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in California. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other California sites. Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.

When is the honey flow in Bear Valley Springs?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
  • Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bear Valley Springs, 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 Apr 2.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
  • Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months

Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.

Bee crops within flight range

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around Bear Valley Springs

Mostly: California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow; Mediterranean California Mixed Oak Woodland; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi N.

How Bear Valley Springs ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US89th98th67th61st
California84th85th93rd93rd
Sierra Nevada99th98th85th94th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 82% 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 Bear Valley Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Keene 5 mi · Stallion Springs 6 mi · Arvin 9 mi · Edmundson Acres 9 mi · Golden Hills 10 mi · Di Giorgio 11 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 Bear Valley Springs (35.1784, -118.6696); 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.