community in California
Honey bee forage in Clipper Mills, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 48% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (64th percentile) and lowest in fall (10th). 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 Clipper Mills?
- First forage: Feb 16 (kinnikinnick, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (kinnikinnick, oregon grape, snowberry)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clipper Mills, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): kinnikinnick, snowberry, oregon grape, ceanothus: redstem; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, kinnikinnick, oregon grape, ceanothus: redstem; 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 Clipper Mills
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi W.
How Clipper Mills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 91st | 19th | 2nd |
| California | 48th | 64th | 43rd | 10th |
| Sierra Nevada | 67th | 85th | 15th | 5th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Clipper Mills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Forbestown 5 mi · Challenge-Brownsville 7 mi · Camptonville 8 mi · Robinson Mill 9 mi · Pike 11 mi · North San Juan 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 Clipper Mills (39.5324, -121.1666); 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.