community in Florida
Honey bee forage in Gateway, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (67th). Expect a dearth from early Oct to late Nov.
When is the honey flow in Gateway?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 1 to Mar 31, peaking late Jan (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Dearth: Oct 1 to Nov 30
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Dec 31 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gateway, 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 Jan 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, 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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi S, blooms early Feb – early 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 Gateway
Mostly: South Florida Pine Wet Flatwoods; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 85% 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). 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 Gateway ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 72nd | 25th | 50th |
| Florida | 84th | 67th | 91st | 75th |
| Southern Coastal Plain | 84th | 63rd | 91st | 80th |
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 Gateway: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Buckingham 5 mi · Fort Myers 6 mi · Page Park 7 mi · Lehigh Acres 7 mi · Villas 8 mi · Tice 8 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 Gateway (26.58, -81.7476); 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.