community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Owyhee, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in fall (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (81st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Owyhee?
- First forage: Mar 16 (weedy mustards, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Owyhee, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, weedy mustards; white
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, arrowleaf balsamroot; amber
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 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 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 Owyhee
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi N.
How Owyhee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 21st | 23rd | 45th | 93rd |
| Nevada | 86th | 81st | 82nd | 94th |
| Northern Basin and Range | 68th | 71st | 61st | 89th |
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 Owyhee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mountain City 14 mi · Wildhorse 29 mi · Jarbidge 40 mi · Tuscarora 42 mi · Midas 56 mi · Fort McDermitt 73 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 Owyhee (41.928, -116.2122); 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.