community in Connecticut
Honey bee forage in Sandy Hook, Connecticut
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in Connecticut. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Connecticut sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.0 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.5 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 3.7 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sandy Hook?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sandy Hook, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Sandy Hook
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi NW.
How Sandy Hook ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 57th | 74th | 57th | 60th |
| Connecticut | 71st | 76th | 69th | 67th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 66th | 77th | 56th | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Sandy Hook: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Newtown 4 mi · Botsford 4 mi · East Village 4 mi · Heritage Village 5 mi · Hawleyville 6 mi · Stepney 6 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 Sandy Hook (41.409, -73.2426); 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.