village in New York
Honey bee forage in Gainesville, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (85th percentile) and lowest in spring (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gainesville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gainesville, 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 19.
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, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, dry Beans; 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
- Corn: about 408 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, 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 Gainesville
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi S.
How Gainesville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 52nd | 41st | 75th | 68th |
| New York | 45th | 4th | 82nd | 85th |
| Northern Allegheny Plateau | 72nd | 4th | 89th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 42% 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 Gainesville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Silver Springs 3 mi · Castile 4 mi · Pike 6 mi · Warsaw 7 mi · Bliss 7 mi · Perry 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 Gainesville (42.6416, -78.1346); 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.