city in California

Honey bee forage in Parlier, California

Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: citrus (nearest 0.3 mi SE); peaches (nearest 0.5 mi S); almonds (nearest 0.6 mi SE).

When is the honey flow in Parlier?

  • First forage: Jan 16 (peaches, dandelion, almonds)
  • Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking late Apr (citrus, almonds)
  • Season ends: Jul 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Parlier, 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 1.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): citrus, almonds, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
  • Whole season (March to November): citrus, clovers: white, alsike and red, almonds, dandelion; white, 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

  • Citrus: about 150 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms late Mar – early May
  • Peaches: about 266 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Feb – late Feb
  • Almonds: about 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Feb – late Mar

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 Parlier

Mostly: Grapes; Peaches; Almonds.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.44 mi E.

Things to watch

  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Citrus: grapefruit: insecticides used on about 63% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: lemons: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2025); Citrus: tangerines: insecticides used on about 82% of surveyed US acres (2025); Peaches: insecticides used on about 86% of surveyed US acres (2025); 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 Parlier ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US98th99th14th12th
California92nd95th36th29th
Central California Valley64th80th29th66th

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

Nearby

Del Rey 4 mi · Selma 5 mi · Reedley 5 mi · Kingsburg 6 mi · Sanger 6 mi · Fowler 7 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 Parlier (36.6089, -119.5437); 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.