city in California
Honey bee forage in Fort Jones, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fort Jones?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fort Jones, 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): alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 5,305 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, 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 Fort Jones
Mostly: Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; North Pacific Oak Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi NW.
How Fort Jones ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 80th | 78th | 34th |
| California | 73rd | 53rd | 99th | 68th |
| Klamath Mountains/California High North Coast Range | 91st | 35th | 99th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Fort Jones: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greenview 6 mi · Etna 11 mi · Yreka 13 mi · Grenada 16 mi · Gazelle 18 mi · Montague 18 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 Fort Jones (41.6085, -122.8411); 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.