community in California
Honey bee forage in Olancha, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 23% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (52nd percentile) and lowest in summer (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Olancha?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jul 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Olancha, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SE, blooms early May – early Jul (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 Olancha
Mostly: Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub; Barren; Sierra Nevada Cliff and Canyon.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.4 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.41 mi W.
How Olancha ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 10th | 41st | 9th | 26th |
| California | 23rd | 34th | 30th | 52nd |
| Mojave Basin and Range | 89th | 89th | 90th | 34th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Olancha: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cartago 3 mi · Keeler 17 mi · Kennedy Meadows 19 mi · Lone Pine 22 mi · Darwin 23 mi · Pearsonville 32 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 Olancha (36.2698, -118.0013); 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.