community in California
Honey bee forage in Redcrest, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in spring (45th percentile) and lowest in fall (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Redcrest?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, maples)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Redcrest, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, huckleberries; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, huckleberries; 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
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi NE, blooms late May – late 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 Redcrest
Mostly: California Coastal Redwood Forest; Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest; Barren.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.17 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.35 mi W.
How Redcrest ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 67th | 10th | 3rd |
| California | 35th | 45th | 32nd | 14th |
| Coast Range | 9th | 10th | 13th | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Redcrest: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Weott 5 mi · Scotia 10 mi · Myers Flat 10 mi · Rio Dell 11 mi · Hydesville 13 mi · Miranda 14 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 Redcrest (40.3988, -123.9474); 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.