city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Vega, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Vega?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Vega, 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 Apr 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, cotton; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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
- Sorghum: about 103 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Vega
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.53 mi W; pond, lake or river 1.06 mi NW.
How Vega ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 87th | 61st | 49th |
| Texas | 78th | 81st | 92nd | 62nd |
| High Plains | 90th | 99th | 42nd | 38th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Vega: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wildorado 13 mi · Adrian 14 mi · Bushland 21 mi · Boys Ranch 22 mi · Umbarger 27 mi · Bishop Hills 27 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 Vega (35.2453, -102.4292); 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.