town in Delaware
Honey bee forage in Hartly, Delaware
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Delaware. Against other Delaware sites it stands out most in spring (64th percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hartly?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- 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 Hartly, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; 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); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 356 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 149 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, 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 Hartly
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NE.
How Hartly ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 69th | 86th | 25th |
| Delaware | 51st | 64th | 49th | 32nd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 80th | 23rd | 88th | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 51% 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 Hartly: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kenton 5 mi · Cheswold 8 mi · Clayton 9 mi · Wyoming 9 mi · Camden 10 mi · Rodney Village 10 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 Hartly (39.1682, -75.7124); 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.