city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Brownsville, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in fall (66th percentile) and lowest in spring (42nd). Expect a dearth from early Oct to early Dec.
When is the honey flow in Brownsville?
- 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: Oct 1 to Dec 15
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 30 (cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Brownsville, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, cotton; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, cotton; 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 106 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SE, blooms early Apr – early May (grown 4 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 Brownsville
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity; Texas Saline Coastal Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 52% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Brownsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 68th | 22nd | 53rd |
| Texas | 77th | 42nd | 45th | 66th |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 50th | 36th | 54th | 76th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 Brownsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cameron Park 1 mi · Olmito 5 mi · Rancho Viejo 6 mi · Del Mar Heights 6 mi · Los Fresnos 6 mi · Reid Hope King 6 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 Brownsville (25.9894, -97.4806); 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.