community in Nevada

Honey bee forage in East Valley, Nevada

Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in East Valley?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, maples)
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
  • Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Valley, 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 Apr 28.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid

Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.

Bee crops within flight range

  • Alfalfa: about 123 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 East Valley

Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.57 mi NW.

How East Valley ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US61st70th61st78th
Nevada99th99th95th64th
Central Basin and Range95th99th89th62nd

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 East Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Gardnerville 2 mi · Fish Springs 2 mi · Ruhenstroth 4 mi · Minden 4 mi · Gardnerville Ranchos 4 mi · Carter Springs 6 mi

All towns in Nevada · 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 East Valley (38.9421, -119.6932); 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.