town in California
Honey bee forage in Truckee, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (37th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.28 mi SE.
When is the honey flow in Truckee?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, kinnikinnick, maples)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Truckee, 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 May 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick, maples; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, kinnikinnick; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Truckee
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.55 mi SW.
How Truckee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 49th | 77th | 72nd |
| California | 61st | 37th | 99th | 97th |
| Sierra Nevada | 84th | 48th | 97th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Truckee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Floriston 10 mi · Soda Springs 10 mi · Carnelian Bay 10 mi · Tahoe Vista 10 mi · Cedar Flat 11 mi · Kings Beach 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 Truckee (39.3505, -120.1939); 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.