community in California
Honey bee forage in Johnstonville, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 1.3 mi NE).
When is the honey flow in Johnstonville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Johnstonville, 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 May 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, maples; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September 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
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 1,264 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 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 Johnstonville
Mostly: Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: 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 Johnstonville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 74th | 79th | 79th |
| California | 75th | 49th | 99th | 98th |
| Central Basin and Range | 99th | 99th | 97th | 64th |
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 Johnstonville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Susanville 4 mi · Janesville 7 mi · Litchfield 11 mi · Milford 20 mi · Spaulding 22 mi · Westwood 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 Johnstonville (40.3802, -120.5861); 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.