community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Golden 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 (70th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Golden Valley?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 30 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Golden 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 May 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 2.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 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 Golden Valley
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.47 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.75 mi W.
How Golden Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 70th | 59th | 80th |
| Nevada | 99th | 99th | 94th | 70th |
| Central Basin and Range | 95th | 99th | 88th | 68th |
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 Golden Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sun Valley 3 mi · Lemmon Valley 5 mi · Reno 5 mi · Sparks 6 mi · Spanish Springs 9 mi · Mogul 9 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 Golden Valley (39.6178, -119.8231); 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.