community in California
Honey bee forage in Pine Grove, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (65th percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 2.7 mi S).
When is the honey flow in Pine Grove?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, kinnikinnick, maples)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking late Mar (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pine Grove, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, kinnikinnick; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, kinnikinnick; extra 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 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi S, blooms late Apr – early 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 Pine Grove
Mostly: Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mixed Oak Woodland; Mediterranean California Lower Montane Black Oak-Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. 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 Pine Grove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 92nd | 23rd | 21st |
| California | 67th | 65th | 47th | 44th |
| Sierra Nevada | 90th | 86th | 20th | 42nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Pine Grove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Red Corral 3 mi · Volcano 4 mi · Pioneer 4 mi · Glencoe 6 mi · West Point 6 mi · Lockwood 6 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 Pine Grove (38.403, -120.6571); 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.