community in Texas
Honey bee forage in McDade, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.9 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in McDade?
- 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 McDade, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi NE, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 1 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 McDade
Mostly: Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi E.
How McDade ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 94th | 30th | 47th |
| Texas | 94th | 93rd | 70th | 58th |
| East Central Texas Plains | 64th | 56th | 58th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 85% 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 McDade: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Camp Swift 7 mi · Circle D-KC Estates 8 mi · Paige 9 mi · Elgin 10 mi · Bastrop 12 mi · Coupland 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 McDade (30.2789, -97.2524); 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.