community in New York

Honey bee forage in Marist College, New York

Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 2.2 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Marist College?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marist College, 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 5.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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

  • Apples: about 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi W, blooms late Apr – early May

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 Marist College

Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Open water.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.26 mi W.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 61% 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 Marist College ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US40th58th51st61st
New York25th38th20th67th
Northeastern Coastal Zone33rd18th42nd59th

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 Marist College: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Fairview 1 mi · Highland 1 mi · Poughkeepsie 2 mi · Arlington 3 mi · Vassar College 3 mi · Haviland 3 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 Marist College (41.7222, -73.9333); 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.