community in Florida
Honey bee forage in St. James City, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in fall (50th percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Expect a dearth from late Jun to late Nov.
When is the honey flow in St. James City?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Mar 31, peaking early Feb (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Dearth: Jun 16 to Nov 30
- Fall flow: Dec 16 to Dec 31 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of St. James City, 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): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Oranges: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NE, 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 St. James City
Mostly: Open water; Caribbean Coastal Mangrove; Open Water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi NW.
Things to watch
- 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 St. James City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 52nd | 56th | 5th | 40th |
| Florida | 43rd | 32nd | 11th | 50th |
| Southern Coastal Plain | 41st | 22nd | 9th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 St. James City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pine Island Center 6 mi · Captiva 6 mi · Sanibel 6 mi · Matlacha Isles-Matlacha Shores 7 mi · Matlacha 7 mi · Punta Rassa 7 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 St. James City (26.5426, -82.102); 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.