community in California
Honey bee forage in Lucerne Valley, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 27% of sites in California. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other California sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cherries (nearest 2.2 mi NW); grapes (nearest 2.6 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Lucerne Valley?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lucerne 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 Mar 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, rabbitbrush; light 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, garden flowers; extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cherries: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi N, blooms late Feb – early Mar
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 Lucerne Valley
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Scrub; Barren.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.24 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: 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 Lucerne Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 49th | 10th | 18th |
| California | 27th | 37th | 32nd | 40th |
| Mojave Basin and Range | 92nd | 92nd | 91st | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 71% 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 Lucerne Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Big Bear Lake 14 mi · Big Bear City 14 mi · Apple Valley 19 mi · Running Springs 20 mi · Lake Arrowhead 20 mi · Spring Valley Lake 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 Lucerne Valley (34.4427, -116.9021); 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.