village in New York
Honey bee forage in Medina, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in New York. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New York sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 1.3 mi NE).
When is the honey flow in Medina?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Medina, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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
- Soybeans: about 323 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 718 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Apples: about 81 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms early May – late 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 Medina
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Corn; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.16 mi NE; open water 0.18 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 65% 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 Medina ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 77th | 84th | 71st |
| New York | 98th | 86th | 95th | 90th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 96th | 85th | 85th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Medina: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Middleport 4 mi · Lyndonville 7 mi · Albion 10 mi · Gasport 10 mi · Barker 11 mi · Oakfield 12 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 Medina (43.2197, -78.3879); 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.