city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Bowie, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 1.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bowie?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bowie, 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 16.
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, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Bowie
Mostly: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.43 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.5 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 85% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Bowie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 92nd | 43rd | 57th |
| Texas | 84th | 91st | 87th | 71st |
| Central Great Plains | 79th | 100th | 31st | 59th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Bowie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sunset 9 mi · Montague 10 mi · Bellevue 11 mi · Alvord 16 mi · Nocona 17 mi · Chico 18 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 Bowie (33.557, -97.8461); 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.