community in New York
Honey bee forage in Bliss, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bliss?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bliss, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 56 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late 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 Bliss
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi E.
How Bliss ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 47th | 70th | 70th |
| New York | 42nd | 12th | 70th | 88th |
| Northern Allegheny Plateau | 68th | 17th | 82nd | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Bliss: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pike 6 mi · Gainesville 7 mi · Arcade 10 mi · Silver Springs 10 mi · Fillmore 11 mi · Castile 11 mi
All towns in New York · National map · How the scoring works
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 Bliss (42.5801, -78.2538); 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.