community in California
Honey bee forage in Mabie, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mabie?
- First forage: Apr 1 (kinnikinnick, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (snowberry, ceanothus: redstem, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mabie, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): ceanothus: redstem, kinnikinnick, spring-flowering shrubs, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, ceanothus: redstem, kinnikinnick, spring-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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 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 Mabie
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SE.
How Mabie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 52nd | 60th | 67th | 46th |
| California | 51st | 41st | 93rd | 81st |
| Sierra Nevada | 72nd | 56th | 84th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 86% 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 Mabie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gold Mountain 2 mi · Clio 2 mi · C-Road 2 mi · Valley Ranch 3 mi · Mohawk Vista 3 mi · Iron Horse 3 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 Mabie (39.7771, -120.5447); 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.