community in California

Honey bee forage in Good Hope, California

Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 0.4 mi W); alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); citrus (nearest 3.2 mi N).

When is the honey flow in Good Hope?

  • First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Season ends: Jul 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Good Hope, 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 18.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, citrus; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, citrus; 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

  • Grapes: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Mar – 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 Good Hope

Mostly: Southern California Coastal Scrub; California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.48 mi SE.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 57% 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. 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). 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 Good Hope ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US93rd98th30th29th
California87th84th55th58th
Southern California/Northern Baja Coast93rd91st88th51st

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 54% 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 Good Hope: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Meadowbrook 3 mi · Perris 3 mi · Mead Valley 4 mi · Warm Springs 6 mi · Canyon Lake 6 mi · Lake Mathews 6 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 Good Hope (33.7706, -117.2772); 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.