city in California
Honey bee forage in Rio Dell, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (55th percentile) and lowest in fall (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rio Dell?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rio Dell, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, huckleberries; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi N, blooms early May – late Jun (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 Rio Dell
Mostly: California Coastal Redwood Forest; Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.23 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.41 mi NW.
How Rio Dell ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 81st | 20th | 10th |
| California | 51st | 55th | 44th | 27th |
| Coast Range | 17th | 17th | 20th | 74th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Rio Dell: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Scotia 1 mi · Hydesville 5 mi · Fortuna 6 mi · Ferndale 10 mi · Redcrest 11 mi · Loleta 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 Rio Dell (40.4956, -124.1152); 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.