town in Texas
Honey bee forage in Ponder, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in summer (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ponder?
- First forage: Jan 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ponder, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; 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
- Sorghum: about 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Ponder
Mostly: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SW; open water 0.31 mi E.
How Ponder ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 75th | 31st | 41st |
| Texas | 51st | 53rd | 73rd | 50th |
| Cross Timbers | 8th | 12th | 41st | 16th |
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 Ponder: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
DISH 3 mi · Justin 6 mi · Corral City 6 mi · Northlake 7 mi · Krum 8 mi · Argyle 8 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 Ponder (33.1717, -97.2965); 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.