community in Connecticut
Honey bee forage in Ball Pond, Connecticut
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Connecticut. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Connecticut sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 3.2 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Ball Pond?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ball Pond, 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 May 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Apples: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi SE, blooms late Apr – early May
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 Ball Pond
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.02 mi N; open water 0.02 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 67% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Ball Pond ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 81st | 66th | 69th |
| Connecticut | 88th | 88th | 86th | 85th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 90th | 92nd | 84th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Ball Pond: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bigelow Corners 1 mi · Taylor Corners 1 mi · Candlewood Knolls 3 mi · Kellogg Point 3 mi · Knollcrest 4 mi · Candlewood Isle 4 mi
All towns in Connecticut · National map · How the scoring works
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 Ball Pond (41.4617, -73.5268); 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.