community in California
Honey bee forage in Mesa Vista, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mesa Vista?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mesa Vista, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Mesa Vista
Mostly: California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.53 mi SW.
How Mesa Vista ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 38th | 52nd | 55th | 64th |
| California | 40th | 38th | 80th | 94th |
| Central Basin and Range | 89th | 96th | 85th | 34th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Mesa Vista: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alpine Village 2 mi · Markleeville 9 mi · Meyers 12 mi · South Lake Tahoe 13 mi · Kirkwood 16 mi · Topaz 20 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 Mesa Vista (38.8103, -119.8033); 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.