community in California
Honey bee forage in West Bishop, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 27% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in spring (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in West Bishop?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of West Bishop, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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, dandelion, rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi SE, blooms late May – early Jul (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 West Bishop
Mostly: Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.34 mi E.
How West Bishop ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 45th | 22nd | 47th |
| California | 27th | 35th | 46th | 81st |
| Central Basin and Range | 65th | 93rd | 36th | 13th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 West Bishop: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dixon Lane-MeadowCreek 4 mi · Bishop 4 mi · Mesa 5 mi · Round Valley 6 mi · Wilkerson 7 mi · Chalfant 10 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 West Bishop (37.3628, -118.475); 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.