community in Texas
Honey bee forage in China Spring, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in China Spring?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 31, peaking early Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of China Spring, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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
- Corn: about 77 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi N, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, 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 China Spring
Mostly: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.16 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi N.
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 China Spring ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 93rd | 32nd | 14th |
| Texas | 84th | 92nd | 74th | 18th |
| Cross Timbers | 91st | 93rd | 43rd | 3rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 China Spring: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gholson 6 mi · Willow Grove 6 mi · Waco 9 mi · Valley Mills 10 mi · Woodway 11 mi · Crawford 11 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 China Spring (31.6492, -97.3048); 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.