community in California
Honey bee forage in Dunnigan, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: almonds (right here); sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 0.7 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Dunnigan?
- First forage: Feb 1 (almonds)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Mar 15, peaking early Mar (almonds)
- Season ends: Jun 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dunnigan, 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 Mar 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): almonds, sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): almonds, sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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
- Almonds: about 4,847 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NE, blooms early Feb – late Mar
- Sunflower: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Apr – late Jun (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 Dunnigan
Mostly: Almonds; California Central Valley and Southern Coastal Grassland; Walnuts.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.15 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.38 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% 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 Dunnigan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 99th | 27th | 8th |
| California | 95th | 92nd | 52nd | 24th |
| Central California Valley | 77th | 71st | 53rd | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Dunnigan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
College City 8 mi · Arbuckle 10 mi · Guinda 13 mi · Grimes 13 mi · Tancred 13 mi · Yolo 14 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 Dunnigan (38.8926, -121.9742); 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.