community in California
Honey bee forage in Waterloo, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in spring (35th percentile) and lowest in fall (7th). Expect a dearth in late Jan.
When is the honey flow in Waterloo?
- First forage: Feb 1 (cherries)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Feb 28, peaking late Feb (cherries)
- Dearth: Jan 16 to Jan 31
- Dearth: May 16 to May 31
- Dearth: Jun 16 to Jun 30
- Season ends: Mar 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Waterloo, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, almonds, cherries, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, almonds, dandelion, cherries; extra 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
- Cherries: about 931 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, 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 Waterloo
Mostly: Walnuts; Cherries; Almonds.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025); Apples: insecticides used on about 77% 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 Waterloo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 43rd | 3rd | 1st |
| California | 81st | 35th | 17th | 7th |
| Central California Valley | 42nd | 1st | 4th | 30th |
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 Waterloo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Morada 3 mi · Linden 5 mi · Garden Acres 6 mi · August 6 mi · Victor 7 mi · Stockton 8 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 Waterloo (38.0365, -121.1846); 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.