community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Pioche, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pioche?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Oct 31, peaking early May (native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pioche, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters, dandelion; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 50 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Pioche
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S.
How Pioche ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 15th | 31st | 31st | 77th |
| Nevada | 73rd | 89th | 62nd | 62nd |
| Central Basin and Range | 66th | 83rd | 55th | 61st |
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 Pioche: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dry Valley 9 mi · Panaca 12 mi · Ursine 12 mi · Bennett Springs 16 mi · Beaverdam 18 mi · Mount Wilson 20 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 Pioche (37.952, -114.4435); 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.