community in California
Honey bee forage in Keddie, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (72nd percentile) and lowest in fall (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.3 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Keddie?
- First forage: Mar 1 (kinnikinnick, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Keddie, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 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 Keddie
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SE.
How Keddie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 88th | 45th | 15th |
| California | 58th | 61st | 72nd | 33rd |
| Sierra Nevada | 81st | 81st | 46th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Keddie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Paxton 3 mi · Indian Falls 4 mi · Twain 5 mi · Quincy 5 mi · East Quincy 6 mi · Crescent Mills 7 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 Keddie (40.0059, -120.9524); 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.