city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Eldorado, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Eldorado?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 15, peaking early Mar (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31 (cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Eldorado, 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 8.
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; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 923 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 3 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 Eldorado
Mostly: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Shrubland; Edwards Plateau Limestone Shrubland; Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.35 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.43 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 51% 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 Eldorado ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 93rd | 43rd | 27th |
| Texas | 83rd | 91st | 87th | 31st |
| Edwards Plateau | 99th | 100th | 100th | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Eldorado: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sonora 20 mi · Christoval 24 mi · Mertzon 31 mi · Ozona 38 mi · San Angelo 41 mi · Menard 48 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 Eldorado (30.8617, -100.5979); 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.