community in California
Honey bee forage in Big River, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (55th percentile) and lowest in summer (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); citrus (nearest 1.3 mi SE); cotton (nearest 1.0 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Big River?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to May 31, peaking early Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big River, 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 Feb 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, rabbitbrush, cotton, dandelion; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 4,423 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms early Apr – late May (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Citrus: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms early Mar – late Apr
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 Big River
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Pavement.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SW; open water 0.65 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Citrus: grapefruit: insecticides used on about 63% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: lemons: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: tangerines: insecticides used on about 82% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% 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 Big River ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 57th | 10th | 27th |
| California | 37th | 40th | 31st | 55th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 86th | 85th | 88th | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 River: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bluewater 6 mi · Blythe 37 mi · Mesa Verde 43 mi · Ripley 46 mi · Needles 49 mi · Palo Verde 53 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 River (34.1398, -114.3621); 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.