community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Tierra Grande, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (below the 1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tierra Grande?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (cotton)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tierra Grande, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton; 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, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 15,045 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Apr – early May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 13,253 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 186 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi W, blooms early Apr – early 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 Tierra Grande
Mostly: Sorghum; Cotton.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.49 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.8 mi N.
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 Tierra Grande ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 84th | 69th | below the 1st |
| Texas | 81st | 74th | 94th | below the 1st |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 59th | 63rd | 99th | 1st |
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 Tierra Grande: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Petronila 4 mi · Robstown 9 mi · North San Pedro 10 mi · Tierra Verde 10 mi · La Paloma-Lost Creek 10 mi · Spring Gardens 11 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 Tierra Grande (27.7037, -97.5718); 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.