community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Silver City, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.0 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Silver City?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 30, peaking early May (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Silver City, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, weedy mustards; 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, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow 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 232 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Silver City
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Ruderal Shrubland; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.37 mi SW.
How Silver City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 21st | 39th | 37th | 80th |
| Nevada | 85th | 94th | 72nd | 69th |
| Central Basin and Range | 77th | 90th | 65th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Silver City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Virginia City 3 mi · Dayton 5 mi · Washoe Valley 8 mi · Johnson Lane 15 mi · Indian Hills 15 mi · Stagecoach 15 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 Silver City (39.2639, -119.6357); 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.