community in California
Honey bee forage in Day Valley, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (63rd percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 1.1 mi S); grapes (nearest 1.7 mi SE); strawberries (nearest 2.7 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Day Valley?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking early Mar (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Day Valley, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Apples: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms late Feb – early Mar
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 Day Valley
Mostly: California Coastal Redwood Forest; California Coastal Live Oak Woodland and Savanna; Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.57 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Strawberries: insecticides used on about 96% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Day Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 18th | 53rd | 8th | 32nd |
| California | 30th | 38th | 28th | 63rd |
| Coast Range | 5th | 3rd | 10th | 93rd |
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.
The national forage map around Day Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Aptos 3 mi · Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley 4 mi · Corralitos 5 mi · Seacliff 5 mi · Rio del Mar 5 mi · Soquel 5 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 Day Valley (37.0254, -121.8559); 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.