community in New York
Honey bee forage in East Herkimer, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in East Herkimer?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Herkimer, 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 12.
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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; extra 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
- Corn: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 45 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 East Herkimer
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi N.
How East Herkimer ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 69th | 69th | 67th |
| New York | 72nd | 70th | 69th | 83rd |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 42nd | 65th | 37th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 East Herkimer: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Herkimer 1 mi · Mohawk 3 mi · Ilion 4 mi · East Frankfort 5 mi · South Ilion 5 mi · Frankfort 5 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 East Herkimer (43.0315, -74.9642); 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.