city in Florida
Honey bee forage in Alachua, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: millet (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.9 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); watermelons (nearest 2.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alachua?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alachua, 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 Feb 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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
- Millet: about 64 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi W, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi W, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Watermelons: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi E, blooms early Apr – late 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 Alachua
Mostly: Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest; Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Watermelons: insecticides used on about 38% of surveyed US acres (2024). 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 Alachua ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 75th | 19th | 27th |
| Florida | 67th | 74th | 84th | 30th |
| Southern Coastal Plain | 66th | 71st | 82nd | 34th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Alachua: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
High Springs 6 mi · La Crosse 7 mi · Gainesville 11 mi · Newberry 11 mi · Worthington Springs 12 mi · Brooker 12 mi
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 Alachua (29.7793, -82.4848); 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.