city in Florida

Honey bee forage in Eustis, Florida

Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: oranges (nearest 1.8 mi S); blueberries (nearest 2.5 mi NE); citrus (nearest 3.6 mi E).

When is the honey flow in Eustis?

  • First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking early Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Dec 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Eustis, 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 7.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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

  • Oranges: about 142 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi SE, blooms late Feb – late Apr

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 Eustis

Mostly: Open water; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.05 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi W.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 66% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Oranges: insecticides used on about 93% of surveyed US acres (2025); Blueberries: insecticides used on about 74% 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 Eustis ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US77th72nd22nd39th
Florida75th68th88th48th
Southern Coastal Plain76th64th88th53rd

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 Eustis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Mount Dora 4 mi · Umatilla 5 mi · Lisbon 6 mi · Tangerine 7 mi · Sorrento 8 mi · Silver Lake 8 mi

All towns in Florida · 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 Eustis (28.8572, -81.6768); 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.