community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Zapata, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it ranks highest in fall (49th percentile) and lowest in summer (30th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.17 mi N.
When is the honey flow in Zapata?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking early Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Zapata, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; amber
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Zapata
Mostly: Tamaulipan Mixed Deciduous Thornscrub; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Shrubland; Tamaulipan Calcareous Thornscrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 62% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Zapata ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 61st | 16th | 40th |
| Texas | 62nd | 34th | 30th | 49th |
| Southern Texas Plains | 94th | 87th | 96th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Zapata: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Falcon Lake Estates 2 mi · Medina 2 mi · Falcon Mesa 3 mi · Las Palmas 4 mi · Siesta Shores 4 mi · Ramireno 10 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 Zapata (26.9022, -99.2614); 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.