village in New York

Honey bee forage in Ellisburg, New York

Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Ellisburg?

  • First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, soybeans)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ellisburg, 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 15.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; 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

  • Corn: about 2,764 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Soybeans: about 225 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
  • Alfalfa: about 49 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Ellisburg

Mostly: Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Corn; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E.

How Ellisburg ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US60th40th80th57th
New York60th3rd91st57th
Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands29th5th77th38th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 37% 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 Ellisburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Pierrepont Manor 4 mi · Mannsville 4 mi · Belleville 4 mi · Sandy Creek 7 mi · Lacona 7 mi · Adams 8 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 Ellisburg (43.7351, -76.1344); 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.