town in Florida

Honey bee forage in Mayo, Florida

Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in summer (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Mayo?

  • First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Season ends: Dec 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mayo, 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 17.

What the honey is made of

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

  • Cotton: about 59 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 83 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Sorghum: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, 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 Mayo

Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland; East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Wet Flatwoods.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.19 mi SW; open water 0.21 mi SW.

Things to watch

  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% 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 Mayo ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US70th76th21st31st
Florida66th75th86th34th
Southeastern Plains74th50th46th87th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 61% 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 Mayo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Day 12 mi · Branford 16 mi · Live Oak 20 mi · Perry 25 mi · Lee 26 mi · Bell 28 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 Mayo (30.0512, -83.1769); 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.