community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Barrera, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (57th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Expect a dearth from early Jul to early Dec.
When is the honey flow in Barrera?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 1 to Apr 30, peaking early Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Dearth: Jul 1 to Dec 15
- Fall flow: May 16 to May 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barrera, 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 Feb 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, cotton, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, garden flowers; 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 178 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms early Apr – early May (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 Barrera
Mostly: Unmapped; Tamaulipan Mixed Deciduous Thornscrub; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.77 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.77 mi W.
How Barrera ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 77th | 15th | 21st |
| Texas | 81st | 57th | 30th | 25th |
| Southern Texas Plains | 98th | 96th | 95th | 10th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Barrera: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Palo Blanco 0 mi · Los Alvarez 0 mi · Flor del Rio 1 mi · El Quiote 1 mi · Benjamin Perez 1 mi · Campo Verde 1 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 Barrera (26.3927, -98.8985); 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.