community in New York
Honey bee forage in Macedon, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Macedon?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Macedon, 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 10.
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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 40 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jun – late 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 Macedon
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi E.
How Macedon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 68th | 81st | 62nd |
| New York | 93rd | 68th | 93rd | 70th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 82nd | 63rd | 80th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Macedon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Palmyra 4 mi · Gananda 5 mi · Walworth 5 mi · Manchester 8 mi · Marion 8 mi · Fairport 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 Macedon (43.0648, -77.3003); 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.