town in Delaware
Honey bee forage in Ellendale, Delaware
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Delaware. Against other Delaware sites it stands out most in spring (56th percentile) and lowest in fall (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ellendale?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ellendale, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), watermelons, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 216 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 447 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 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 Ellendale
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi NW.
How Ellendale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 66th | 85th | 26th |
| Delaware | 40th | 56th | 47th | 33rd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 75th | 17th | 87th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Ellendale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lincoln 4 mi · Milton 7 mi · Milford 7 mi · Houston 8 mi · Greenwood 8 mi · Georgetown 9 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 Ellendale (38.8105, -75.4322); 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.