city in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Ely, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in summer (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (83rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 2.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ely?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ely, 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 May 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), weedy mustards; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; extra 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Ely
Mostly: Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi E.
How Ely ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 43rd | 63rd | 86th |
| Nevada | 96th | 95th | 96th | 83rd |
| Central Basin and Range | 91st | 92nd | 91st | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Ely: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ruth 6 mi · McGill 11 mi · Preston 26 mi · Lund 29 mi · Baker 44 mi · Eureka 61 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 Ely (39.2649, -114.8709); 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.