community in New York
Honey bee forage in Three Mile Bay, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Three Mile Bay?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Three Mile Bay, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; 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), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 84 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Three Mile Bay
Mostly: Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.17 mi SE.
How Three Mile Bay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 67th | 78th | 86th |
| New York | 91st | 64th | 88th | 99th |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 77th | 58th | 69th | 99th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Three Mile Bay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chaumont 3 mi · Cape Vincent 7 mi · Depauville 9 mi · Dexter 9 mi · Sackets Harbor 11 mi · Clayton 12 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 Three Mile Bay (44.0849, -76.1975); 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.