community in California
Honey bee forage in Crescent Mills, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Crescent Mills?
- First forage: Mar 16 (spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, kinnikinnick)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 30, peaking early May (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Crescent 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry; 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Crescent Mills
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi SE.
How Crescent Mills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 84th | 64th | 40th |
| California | 66th | 58th | 91st | 75th |
| Sierra Nevada | 89th | 76th | 79th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Crescent Mills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greenville 3 mi · Indian Falls 4 mi · Taylorsville 5 mi · Paxton 6 mi · Keddie 7 mi · Twain 8 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 Crescent Mills (40.1007, -120.9217); 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.