Honey bee forage in Soledad, California

When is the honey flow in Soledad?

• First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), maples)
• Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
• Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion)
• Season ends: Sep 30

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Soledad, 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 Feb 23.

What the honey is made of

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

• Grapes: about 2,217 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Mar – late Apr
• Cherries: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SW, blooms early Feb – late Feb
• Almonds: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms early Feb – early 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 Soledad

Mostly: Misc Vegs & Fruits; California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow; Grapes.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.39 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.68 mi NE.

Things to watch

• Heavily developed. About 62% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
• 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); Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% 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 Soledad ranks

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

Nearby

Gonzales 8 mi · Greenfield 9 mi · Chualar 14 mi · King City 18 mi · Pine Canyon 21 mi · Spreckels 22 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 Soledad (36.4345, -121.3178); 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.