community in New York

Honey bee forage in Miller Place, New York

Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in summer (88th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sweet corn (nearest 1.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 3.4 mi SE).

When is the honey flow in Miller Place?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion)
  • 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 Miller Place, 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 Apr 30.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • 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; 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

  • Sweet corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Apples: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi SE, 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 Miller Place

Mostly: Open water; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.27 mi S; open water 0.65 mi S.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 98% 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. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% 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 Miller Place ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US88th95th78th81st
New York100th100th88th98th
Northeastern Coastal Zone100th99th99th100th

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 Miller Place: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Mount Sinai 1 mi · Sound Beach 2 mi · Rocky Point 3 mi · Port Jefferson 3 mi · Terryville 4 mi · Port Jefferson Station 4 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 Miller Place (40.9431, -72.9933); 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.