city in New York

Honey bee forage in Lockport, New York

Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (79th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 2.8 mi NE); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Lockport?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
  • Season ends: Oct 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lockport, 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 12.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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

  • Soybeans: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Apples: about 101 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi NE, blooms early May – late May
  • Corn: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Lockport

Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi SE.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 93% 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. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). 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 Lockport ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US76th73rd76th79th
New York91st79th85th97th
Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands77th76th63rd95th

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

The national forage map around Lockport: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

South Lockport 2 mi · Rapids 6 mi · Gasport 6 mi · Newfane 8 mi · Sanborn 9 mi · Olcott 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 Lockport (43.1695, -78.6958); 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.