community in Connecticut
Honey bee forage in Mansfield Center, Connecticut
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in Connecticut. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Connecticut sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mansfield Center?
- 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)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mansfield Center, 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): 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
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Sunflower: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 Mansfield Center
Mostly: Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi W.
How Mansfield Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 33rd | 61st | 42nd | 43rd |
| Connecticut | 35th | 36th | 34th | 34th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 24th | 32nd | 20th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Mansfield Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Willimantic 4 mi · Storrs 4 mi · South Windham 6 mi · South Coventry 6 mi · Coventry Lake 8 mi · Lake Chaffee 12 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 Mansfield Center (41.7671, -72.1869); 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.