community in California
Honey bee forage in Big Bend, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (63rd percentile) and lowest in fall (29th). 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 Big Bend?
- First forage: Feb 16 (kinnikinnick, maples)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (snowberry, kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Bend, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
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 Big Bend
Mostly: Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi W.
How Big Bend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 90th | 26th | 12th |
| California | 52nd | 63rd | 50th | 29th |
| Klamath Mountains/California High North Coast Range | 31st | 60th | 11th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 95% 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 Big Bend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Montgomery Creek 12 mi · Round Mountain 15 mi · Burney 16 mi · Johnson Park 17 mi · McCloud 20 mi · Cassel 21 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 Big Bend (41.0116, -121.9304); 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.