city in California
Honey bee forage in Tehachapi, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (89th percentile) and lowest in fall (67th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 2.0 mi SE); pears (nearest 2.4 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 1.6 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tehachapi?
- First forage: Feb 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tehachapi, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Apples: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi SE, blooms early Apr – late Apr
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 Tehachapi
Mostly: Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow; California Lower Montane Foothill Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Pears: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); 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); Peaches: insecticides used on about 86% 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 Tehachapi ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 98th | 63rd | 33rd |
| California | 81st | 86th | 89th | 67th |
| Sierra Nevada | 98th | 98th | 76th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Tehachapi: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Golden Hills 3 mi · Mountain Meadows 3 mi · Keene 11 mi · Stallion Springs 12 mi · Bear Valley Springs 13 mi · Mojave 17 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 Tehachapi (35.143, -118.446); 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.