community in Delaware
Honey bee forage in Port Penn, Delaware
Estimated forage here is better than about 15% of sites in Delaware. Against other Delaware sites it stands out most in fall (57th percentile) and lowest in spring (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Port Penn?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- 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 Port Penn, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
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 201 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , 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 Port Penn
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Ruderal Wet Meadow & Marsh; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Salt Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi E.
How Port Penn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 49th | 85th | 44th |
| Delaware | 15th | 16th | 43rd | 57th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 55th | 5th | 86th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Port Penn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Delaware City 4 mi · St. Georges 5 mi · Odessa 6 mi · Middletown 9 mi · Bear 9 mi · Townsend 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 Port Penn (39.5152, -75.5814); 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.