Honey bee forage in Casmalia, California

When is the honey flow in Casmalia?

• First forage: Jan 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
• Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs)
• Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
• Season ends: Sep 30

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Casmalia, 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 20.

What the honey is made of

• Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, 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), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
• Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
• Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs; 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

• Almonds: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi NE, blooms late Jan – early Mar
• Dry beans: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Strawberries: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi NE, blooms early Jan – early Apr (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Grapes: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi NE, blooms late 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 Casmalia

Mostly: Southern California Coastal Scrub; California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow; Southern California Dry-Mesic Chaparral.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SE.

How Casmalia ranks

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

About 89% 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.

Nearby

Orcutt 7 mi · Vandenberg AFB 8 mi · Santa Maria 8 mi · Guadalupe 9 mi · Vandenberg Village 10 mi · Mission Hills 12 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 Casmalia (34.8378, -120.531); 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.