community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Carlsbad, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Carlsbad?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Carlsbad, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cotton: about 246 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi E, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Carlsbad
Mostly: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Shrubland; Western Great Plains Mesquite Shrubland; Edwards Plateau Limestone Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi E.
Things to watch
- 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 Carlsbad ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 91st | 27th | 41st |
| Texas | 74th | 88th | 64th | 50th |
| Central Great Plains | 72nd | 99th | 10th | 39th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 75% 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 Carlsbad: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grape Creek 6 mi · San Angelo 16 mi · Robert Lee 22 mi · Sterling City 26 mi · Mertzon 26 mi · Miles 27 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 Carlsbad (31.6112, -100.6406); 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.