community in Connecticut
Honey bee forage in Witches Woods, Connecticut
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in Connecticut. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Connecticut sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.9 mi S); apples (nearest 2.3 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Witches Woods?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 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 Witches Woods, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Apples: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi SW, blooms early May – late 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 Witches Woods
Mostly: Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak-Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% 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 Witches Woods ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 60th | 41st | 38th |
| Connecticut | 29th | 28th | 32nd | 28th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 20th | 26th | 19th | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Witches Woods: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake Bungee 1 mi · Quasset Lake 5 mi · South Woodstock 6 mi · Lake Chaffee 6 mi · Putnam 9 mi · Quinebaug 9 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 Witches Woods (41.9464, -72.0742); 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.