community in Florida
Honey bee forage in Harlem, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it ranks highest in summer (49th percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Expect a dearth from early Jul to early Dec.
When is the honey flow in Harlem?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Dearth: Jul 1 to Dec 15
- Fall flow: Dec 16 to Dec 31 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Harlem, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), oranges, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, oranges; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms late 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 Harlem
Mostly: Sugarcane; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.53 mi N.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 51% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
- 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 Harlem ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 61st | 10th | 17th |
| Florida | 55th | 42nd | 49th | 17th |
| Southern Florida Coastal Plain | 70th | 86th | 52nd | 10th |
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 Harlem: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clewiston 2 mi · Lake Harbor 9 mi · Montura 11 mi · Moore Haven 11 mi · South Bay 14 mi · Pioneer 16 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 Harlem (26.7324, -80.9518); 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.