city in New York
Honey bee forage in Johnstown, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (67th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.0 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Johnstown?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- 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, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Johnstown, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, 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, pumpkins; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, 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 138 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Pumpkins: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Oct (grown 1 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 Johnstown
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 69% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Johnstown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 68th | 74th | 78th |
| New York | 83rd | 67th | 80th | 97th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 60th | 62nd | 52nd | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Johnstown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gloversville 3 mi · Fonda 4 mi · Fultonville 4 mi · Tribes Hill 6 mi · Fort Johnson 8 mi · Mayfield 9 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 Johnstown (43.0073, -74.3751); 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.