city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Benavides, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in fall (52nd percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 1.2 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Benavides?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Mar 31, peaking early Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Apr 16 to Apr 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Benavides, 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 8.
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): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March 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
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 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi S, blooms early Apr – early May (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi E, blooms late Feb – late Mar (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 Benavides
Mostly: Tamaulipan Mixed Deciduous Thornscrub; Tamaulipan Calcareous Thornscrub; Tamaulipan Mesquite Upland Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi W.
How Benavides ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 57th | 11th | 42nd |
| Texas | 49th | 29th | 22nd | 52nd |
| Southern Texas Plains | 91st | 82nd | 90th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Benavides: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Realitos 13 mi · Concepcion 14 mi · San Diego 16 mi · Loma Linda East 18 mi · Coyote Acres 19 mi · Ben Bolt 20 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 Benavides (27.5969, -98.4138); 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.