city in California
Honey bee forage in Tehama, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in spring (47th percentile) and lowest in fall (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: almonds (nearest 0.5 mi NW); prunes (nearest 0.4 mi S); sunflower (nearest 1.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tehama?
- First forage: Jan 16 (prunes, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Mar 15, peaking late Feb (prunes, almonds, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Apr 16 to Apr 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tehama, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, almonds, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, almonds; 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
- Almonds: about 602 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Feb – late Mar
- Prunes: about 109 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Feb – late Feb
- Sunflower: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi S, blooms late Apr – 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 Tehama
Mostly: Walnuts; California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow; Almonds.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.29 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Prunes: insecticides used on about 54% 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 Tehama ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 69th | 16th | 16th |
| California | 54th | 47th | 39th | 36th |
| Central California Valley | 14th | 14th | 34th | 72nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Tehama: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Los Molinos 2 mi · Gerber 3 mi · Las Flores 4 mi · Richfield 4 mi · Proberta 5 mi · Corning 7 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 Tehama (40.0218, -122.1269); 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.