community in New York
Honey bee forage in Horseheads North, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (80th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Horseheads North?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Horseheads North, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs; 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), garden flowers; 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
- Soybeans: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 22 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NW, 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 Horseheads North
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi N.
How Horseheads North ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 74th | 77th | 80th |
| New York | 92nd | 80th | 86th | 98th |
| Northern Allegheny Plateau | 99th | 99th | 91st | 99th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Horseheads North: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Horseheads 2 mi · Pine Valley 3 mi · Breesport 4 mi · Elmira Heights 5 mi · Millport 5 mi · Big Flats 6 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 Horseheads North (42.1966, -76.8047); 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.