community in California
Honey bee forage in Newell, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (100th percentile) and lowest in spring (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); mint (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Newell?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Newell, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, mint, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 3,120 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Mint: about 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Oct (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 Newell
Mostly: Alfalfa; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.38 mi SE.
How Newell ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 63rd | 84th | 79th |
| California | 77th | 43rd | 100th | 98th |
| Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills | 94th | 85th | 92nd | 88th |
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 Newell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tulelake 7 mi · Dorris 29 mi · Macdoel 34 mi · Mount Hebron 34 mi · Tennant 36 mi · Canby 39 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 Newell (41.8887, -121.3602); 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.