community in Delaware
Honey bee forage in Brookside, Delaware
Estimated forage here is better than about 24% of sites in Delaware. Against other Delaware sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.4 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Brookside?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Brookside, 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 Apr 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Corn: about 29 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi W, blooms early Jun – 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 Brookside
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 77% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Brookside ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 89th | 67th | 63rd |
| Delaware | 24th | 92nd | 11th | 93rd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 63rd | 74th | 68th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Brookside: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Newark 3 mi · Bear 4 mi · Pike Creek Valley 4 mi · Glasgow 5 mi · Pike Creek 6 mi · North Star 6 mi
All towns in Delaware · 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 Brookside (39.6662, -75.7066); 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.