community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Spanish Springs, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Spanish Springs?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spanish Springs, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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, native wildflowers, 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi SW, 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 Spanish Springs
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Developed, medium intensity.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.67 mi N.
How Spanish Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 37th | 52nd | 46th | 80th |
| Nevada | 94th | 97th | 83rd | 69th |
| Central Basin and Range | 88th | 96th | 77th | 67th |
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 Spanish Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sparks 6 mi · Sun Valley 7 mi · Golden Valley 9 mi · Lemmon Valley 9 mi · Reno 12 mi · Mogul 17 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 Spanish Springs (39.655, -119.6688); 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.