community in California
Honey bee forage in Little Valley, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.0 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Little Valley?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Little Valley, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, ceanothus: redstem; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs; extra 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 85 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi E, blooms late Jun – late 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 Little Valley
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Columbia Plateau Western Juniper Woodland and Savanna; California Montane Jeffrey Pine-(Ponderosa Pine) Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi N.
How Little Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 56th | 62nd | 50th |
| California | 45th | 39th | 88th | 84th |
| Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills | 55th | 81st | 41st | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Little Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nubieber 14 mi · McArthur 16 mi · Fall River Mills 16 mi · Hat Creek 17 mi · Bieber 17 mi · Cassel 19 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 Little Valley (40.893, -121.178); 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.