community in California
Honey bee forage in Walker, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Walker?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Walker, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, weedy mustards; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; 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 57 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Walker
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.02 mi S.
How Walker ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 54th | 58th | 79th |
| California | 46th | 39th | 83rd | 98th |
| Central Basin and Range | 92nd | 96th | 87th | 65th |
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 Walker: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Coleville 5 mi · Topaz 8 mi · Markleeville 22 mi · Bridgeport 23 mi · Alpine Village 26 mi · Twin Lakes 26 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 Walker (38.5185, -119.4731); 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.