city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Stafford, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it ranks highest in summer (45th percentile) and lowest in spring (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Stafford?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Stafford, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Cotton: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late Apr – late May (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 Stafford
Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Developed, high intensity (paved); Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.41 mi NE; open water 0.65 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 98% 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 Stafford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 42nd | 55th | 22nd | 30th |
| Texas | 38th | 27th | 45th | 33rd |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 24th | 21st | 54th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Stafford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fifth Street 2 mi · Meadows Place 2 mi · Sugar Land 5 mi · Missouri City 5 mi · Four Corners 6 mi · Mission Bend 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 Stafford (29.6257, -95.5657); 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.