city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Athens, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 3.0 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Athens?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jul 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 Athens, 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 Mar 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, 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
- Sorghum: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi SE, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 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 Athens
Mostly: Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.17 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 63% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Athens ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 95th | 39th | 41st |
| Texas | 93rd | 96th | 84th | 50th |
| East Central Texas Plains | 59th | 71st | 91st | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Athens: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Murchison 7 mi · Log Cabin 11 mi · Malakoff 11 mi · Caney City 12 mi · Eustace 13 mi · Star Harbor 13 mi
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 Athens (32.2026, -95.8308); 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.