community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Cade Lakes, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 3.6 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cade Lakes?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cade Lakes, 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 23.
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): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Corn: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi E, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Jul (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 Cade Lakes
Mostly: Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi W.
How Cade Lakes ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 89th | 29th | 56th |
| Texas | 90th | 86th | 69th | 70th |
| East Central Texas Plains | 45th | 33rd | 55th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 78% 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 Cade Lakes: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Caldwell 5 mi · Deanville 6 mi · Dime Box 11 mi · Beaver Creek 13 mi · Milano 14 mi · Tunis 15 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 Cade Lakes (30.5151, -96.7734); 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.