community in California
Honey bee forage in Burney, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Burney?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Burney, 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 May 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, kinnikinnick; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
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 Burney
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi E.
How Burney ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 80th | 68th | 55th |
| California | 67th | 54th | 94th | 88th |
| Cascades | 38th | 55th | 32nd | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% 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 Burney: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Johnson Park 3 mi · Cassel 7 mi · Hat Creek 13 mi · Montgomery Creek 13 mi · Fall River Mills 15 mi · Round Mountain 15 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 Burney (40.8894, -121.6755); 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.