community in California

Honey bee forage in Mayfair, California

Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (73rd percentile) and lowest in spring (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: almonds (nearest 1.8 mi SE); grapes (nearest 1.4 mi W); citrus (nearest 3.2 mi NW).

When is the honey flow in Mayfair?

  • First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, maples)
  • Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jul 15 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mayfair, 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 Feb 28.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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

  • Almonds: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi N, blooms early Feb – early Mar
  • Grapes: about 114 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi N, blooms early Apr – late Apr

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 Mayfair

Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Developed, high intensity (paved); Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi W.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 99% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. 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 Mayfair ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US66th75th31st39th
California64th50th56th73rd
Central California Valley19th18th59th87th

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 Mayfair: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Fresno 2 mi · Old Fig Garden 3 mi · Tarpey Village 4 mi · Calwa 4 mi · Sunnyside 5 mi · Clovis 6 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 Mayfair (36.7693, -119.7613); 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.