community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Sandy Hollow-Escondidas, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in fall (57th percentile) and lowest in summer (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sandy Hollow-Escondidas?
- First forage: Jan 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jan 1 to May 15, peaking early Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sandy Hollow-Escondidas, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, cotton; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton, 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); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, cotton; 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 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms early Apr – early May (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 1,534 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Sandy Hollow-Escondidas
Mostly: Southeastern Ruderal Grassland; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
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 Sandy Hollow-Escondidas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 66th | 13th | 46th |
| Texas | 58th | 39th | 25th | 57th |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 34th | 33rd | 21st | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Sandy Hollow-Escondidas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
San Patricio 4 mi · Sandia 8 mi · Edroy 8 mi · Orange Grove 9 mi · Rancho Banquete 9 mi · K-Bar Ranch 9 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 Sandy Hollow-Escondidas (27.9282, -97.8015); 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.