community in New York
Honey bee forage in Houghton, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (55th percentile) and lowest in spring (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Houghton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Houghton, 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 16.
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, alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 296 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Houghton
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.15 mi NE.
How Houghton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 48th | 63rd | 56th |
| New York | 26th | 14th | 48th | 55th |
| Northern Allegheny Plateau | 43rd | 21st | 64th | 42nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Houghton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fillmore 4 mi · Rushford 5 mi · Belfast 7 mi · Pike 9 mi · Bliss 11 mi · Angelica 11 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 Houghton (42.4283, -78.1726); 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.