community in California
Honey bee forage in Pike, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 48% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (61st percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 3.5 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Pike?
- First forage: Feb 16 (kinnikinnick, maples, dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (kinnikinnick, snowberry, oregon grape)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pike, 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): snowberry, kinnikinnick, oregon grape, ceanothus: redstem; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, kinnikinnick, oregon grape, ceanothus: redstem; 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
- Grapes: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi W, blooms early May – late May
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 Pike
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Lower Montane 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) 0.07 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NW.
How Pike ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 89th | 17th | 4th |
| California | 48th | 61st | 40th | 16th |
| Sierra Nevada | 67th | 82nd | 13th | 10th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Pike: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Camptonville 3 mi · North San Juan 7 mi · Alleghany 9 mi · Goodyears Bar 10 mi · Clipper Mills 11 mi · Nevada City 12 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 Pike (39.4278, -120.9997); 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.