community in California
Honey bee forage in Indio Hills, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 18% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in fall (29th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Expect a dearth from early May to late Jun.
When is the honey flow in Indio Hills?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Dearth: Jan 1 to Jan 15
- Dearth: May 1 to Jun 30
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Indio Hills, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Indio Hills
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Pavement; North American Warm Desert Bedrock Cliff and Outcrop.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; open water 1.94 mi SW.
How Indio Hills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 5th | 18th | 2nd | 12th |
| California | 18th | 23rd | 16th | 29th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 66th | 61st | 68th | 17th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 81% 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 Indio Hills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Desert Palms 5 mi · Thousand Palms 6 mi · Sky Valley 7 mi · Bermuda Dunes 7 mi · Indio 8 mi · Palm Desert 10 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 Indio Hills (33.8411, -116.2485); 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.