city in California

Honey bee forage in Fullerton, California

Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in spring (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: citrus (nearest 2.6 mi SE).

When is the honey flow in Fullerton?

  • First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jan 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Dec 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fullerton, 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 9.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, 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

  • Citrus: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi SE, blooms late Feb – late Apr

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 Fullerton

Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Developed, high intensity (paved); Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi E.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 98% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Citrus: grapefruit: insecticides used on about 63% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: lemons: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: tangerines: insecticides used on about 82% 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 Fullerton ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US85th76th32nd46th
California80th50th57th81st
Southern California/Northern Baja Coast74th26th91st93rd

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 Fullerton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

La Habra 3 mi · Placentia 4 mi · East Whittier 4 mi · Brea 5 mi · La Mirada 5 mi · Buena Park 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 Fullerton (33.8857, -117.928); 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.