community in California
Honey bee forage in Madison, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: almonds (right here); sunflower (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Madison?
- First forage: Feb 1 (almonds)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Mar 15, peaking early Mar (almonds)
- Season ends: Jun 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Madison, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): sunflower, almonds, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, cucumbers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, almonds, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Almonds: about 563 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Feb – late Mar
- Sunflower: about 42 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 1 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 Madison
Mostly: Almonds; Walnuts; Olives.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi NE.
How Madison ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 100th | 99th | 36th | 1st |
| California | 97th | 94th | 62nd | 7th |
| Central California Valley | 82nd | 79th | 68th | 30th |
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 Madison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Esparto 3 mi · Monument Hills 5 mi · Yolo 10 mi · Winters 10 mi · Brooks 10 mi · Tancred 12 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 Madison (38.675, -121.9703); 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.