city in California
Honey bee forage in Ferndale, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ferndale?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ferndale, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, 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
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 2 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 Ferndale
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; California Coastal Redwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi N.
How Ferndale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 98th | 39th | 12th |
| California | 81st | 83rd | 66th | 28th |
| Coast Range | 32nd | 33rd | 31st | 75th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Ferndale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Loleta 5 mi · Fortuna 6 mi · Hydesville 9 mi · Rio Dell 10 mi · Fields Landing 10 mi · Humboldt Hill 11 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 Ferndale (40.5781, -124.2612); 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.