community in California
Honey bee forage in Herlong, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Herlong?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Herlong, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, weedy mustards, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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
- Alfalfa: about 121 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Herlong
Mostly: Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.83 mi N; open water 0.83 mi N.
How Herlong ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 58th | 66th | 94th |
| California | 58th | 41st | 91st | 100th |
| Central Basin and Range | 95th | 97th | 92nd | 93rd |
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 Herlong: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Patton Village 2 mi · Doyle 8 mi · Milford 12 mi · Litchfield 21 mi · Janesville 22 mi · Chilcoot-Vinton 23 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 Herlong (40.1417, -120.1397); 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.