community in California
Honey bee forage in Litchfield, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 2.2 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Litchfield?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 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 Litchfield, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow 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, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards, dandelion; 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 1,614 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Litchfield
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.5 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 Litchfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 36th | 42nd | 55th | 84th |
| California | 39th | 34th | 80th | 99th |
| Northern Basin and Range | 86th | 96th | 74th | 55th |
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 Litchfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Janesville 8 mi · Johnstonville 11 mi · Susanville 13 mi · Milford 16 mi · Patton Village 20 mi · Herlong 21 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 Litchfield (40.3877, -120.3807); 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.