community in New York
Honey bee forage in Brasher Falls, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in spring (68th percentile) and lowest in summer (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Brasher Falls?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Brasher Falls, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; 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 0.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 73 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi NW, 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 Brasher Falls
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi S.
How Brasher Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 68th | 59th | 53rd |
| New York | 47th | 68th | 38th | 50th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 18th | 63rd | 12th | 28th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Brasher Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Winthrop 1 mi · Massena 9 mi · Norfolk 10 mi · Norwood 11 mi · Akwesasne 12 mi · Parishville 13 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 Brasher Falls (44.814, -74.7889); 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.