community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Empire, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Nevada. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Nevada sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Empire?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Oct 15, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Empire, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): weedy mustards, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, weedy mustards; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, weedy mustards, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Empire
Mostly: Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Barren; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.45 mi NW.
How Empire ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 33rd | 36th | 51st | 95th |
| Nevada | 93rd | 93rd | 87th | 96th |
| Central Basin and Range | 87th | 87th | 82nd | 95th |
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 Empire: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gerlach 5 mi · Sutcliffe 46 mi · Nixon 52 mi · Lovelock 53 mi · Humboldt River Ranch 57 mi · Imlay 63 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 Empire (40.5759, -119.3431); 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.