community in California
Honey bee forage in Mono Vista, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 1.6 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Mono Vista?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (dandelion, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mono 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 Apr 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, kinnikinnick; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Apples: about 53 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi W, blooms late Mar – early 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 Mono Vista
Mostly: Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 55% 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. Apples: 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 Mono Vista ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 97th | 46th | 22nd |
| California | 75th | 80th | 73rd | 45th |
| Sierra Nevada | 96th | 96th | 46th | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Mono Vista: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Soulsbyville 2 mi · Phoenix Lake 2 mi · Twain Harte 3 mi · Cedar Ridge 4 mi · Tuolumne City 4 mi · East Sonora 5 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 Mono Vista (38.0134, -120.27); 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.