community in California
Honey bee forage in Calpine, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Calpine?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Calpine, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), kinnikinnick; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, dandelion, snowberry, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Calpine
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi S.
How Calpine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 72nd | 77th | 75th |
| California | 72nd | 48th | 99th | 97th |
| Sierra Nevada | 94th | 64th | 97th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Calpine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sattley 2 mi · Sierraville 7 mi · Whitehawk 7 mi · Gold Mountain 8 mi · Iron Horse 8 mi · Valley Ranch 9 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 Calpine (39.6634, -120.4393); 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.