town in Florida
Honey bee forage in Lee, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: rapeseed (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.8 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lee?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Jul 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lee, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Rapeseed: about 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Feb – late Mar (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 253 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi E, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms late Feb – early Apr (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 Lee
Mostly: Southeastern Ruderal Grassland; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% 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 Lee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 79th | 15th | 14th |
| Florida | 58th | 81st | 74th | 11th |
| Southeastern Plains | 65th | 60th | 27th | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Lee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Madison 8 mi · Day 15 mi · Jennings 17 mi · Greenville 20 mi · Live Oak 21 mi · Jasper 22 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 Lee (30.4131, -83.3041); 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.