community in New York
Honey bee forage in Sand Ridge, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in summer (75th percentile) and lowest in spring (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sand Ridge?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sand Ridge, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 332 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Sand Ridge
Mostly: North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SW.
How Sand Ridge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 67th | 72nd | 60th |
| New York | 70th | 64th | 75th | 65th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 40th | 58th | 44th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Sand Ridge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Phoenix 4 mi · Brewerton 5 mi · Central Square 5 mi · Radisson 6 mi · Baldwinsville 9 mi · Village Green 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 Sand Ridge (43.2557, -76.23); 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.