community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Zapata Ranch, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in summer (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (2nd). 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 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Zapata Ranch?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (cotton)
- Season ends: Jul 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Zapata Ranch, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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 14,237 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Apr – early May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 6,635 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Apr – early May (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 Zapata Ranch
Mostly: Sorghum; Cotton.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.54 mi SW.
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 Zapata Ranch ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 89th | 58th | 1st |
| Texas | 79th | 85th | 91st | 2nd |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 54th | 80th | 96th | 5th |
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 Zapata Ranch: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sebastian 2 mi · Yznaga 2 mi · Lyford 4 mi · Tierra Bonita 6 mi · Santa Rosa 7 mi · La Villa 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 Zapata Ranch (26.3588, -97.823); 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.