community in New York
Honey bee forage in Salem, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in summer (80th percentile) and lowest in spring and fall (70th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Salem?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Salem, 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 13.
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): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, 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
- Corn: about 103 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 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 Salem
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi SE.
How Salem ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 69th | 74th | 62nd |
| New York | 80th | 70th | 80th | 70th |
| Northeastern Highlands | 97th | 73rd | 98th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Salem: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Argyle 9 mi · Cambridge 10 mi · Greenwich 10 mi · Schuylerville 14 mi · Victory 14 mi · Fort Edward 14 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 Salem (43.1727, -73.3266); 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.