community in Florida
Honey bee forage in Hurlburt Field, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Florida. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Florida sites. Expect a dearth from early Oct to early Dec.
When is the honey flow in Hurlburt Field?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Dearth: Jul 16 to Jul 31
- Dearth: Oct 1 to Dec 15
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hurlburt Field, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late May (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 Hurlburt Field
Mostly: Open water; East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Wet Flatwoods; Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi NW.
How Hurlburt Field ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 63rd | 10th | 39th |
| Florida | 38th | 46th | 46th | 49th |
| Southern Coastal Plain | 37th | 39th | 47th | 54th |
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 Hurlburt Field: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mary Esther 4 mi · Wright 5 mi · Fort Walton Beach 6 mi · Cinco Bayou 7 mi · Ocean City 7 mi · Shalimar 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 Hurlburt Field (30.4264, -86.7193); 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.