community in New York
Honey bee forage in New Suffolk, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.9 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 1.7 mi NW); pumpkins (nearest 3.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in New Suffolk?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- 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
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of New Suffolk, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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, 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, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 73 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Grapes: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Jul
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 New Suffolk
Mostly: Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Maritime Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.1 mi SE; open water 0.15 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); 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 New Suffolk ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 69th | 64th | 71st |
| New York | 64th | 71st | 52nd | 90th |
| Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens | 44th | 45th | 52nd | 83rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 35% 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 New Suffolk: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cutchogue 2 mi · Peconic 3 mi · Mattituck 4 mi · Laurel 4 mi · Southold 5 mi · North Sea 6 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 New Suffolk (40.9968, -72.4775); 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.