village in New York

Honey bee forage in Otisville, New York

Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Otisville?

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

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Otisville, 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 7.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; 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 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 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 Otisville

Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W.

How Otisville ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US59th77th56th61st
New York58th85th28th68th
Ridge and Valley54th52nd70th97th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 75% 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 Otisville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Middletown 6 mi · Washington Heights 7 mi · Bloomingburg 7 mi · Wurtsboro 8 mi · Mechanicstown 8 mi · Wurtsboro Hills 9 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 Otisville (41.4714, -74.5397); 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.