community in Connecticut
Honey bee forage in Conning Towers-Nautilus Park, Connecticut
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Connecticut. Against other Connecticut sites it stands out most in fall (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); squash (nearest 3.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Conning Towers-Nautilus Park?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Conning Towers-Nautilus Park, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Corn: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Squash: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Oct (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sweet corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Conning Towers-Nautilus Park
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Open water; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.16 mi SW.
How Conning Towers-Nautilus Park ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 68th | 47th | 60th |
| Connecticut | 58th | 61st | 50th | 67th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 44th | 56th | 33rd | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Conning Towers-Nautilus Park: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gales Ferry 2 mi · Long Hill 3 mi · Old Mystic 4 mi · New London 4 mi · Groton 4 mi · Waterford 5 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 Conning Towers-Nautilus Park (41.3892, -72.0638); 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.