city in Massachusetts

Honey bee forage in Beverly, Massachusetts

Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (59th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, less than 0.1 mi away.

When is the honey flow in Beverly?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Season ends: Oct 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Beverly, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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

No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.

The land and water around Beverly

Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NW.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 54% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.

How Beverly ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US60th68th63rd69th
Massachusetts74th59th80th86th
Northeastern Coastal Zone70th59th75th85th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 40% 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 Beverly: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Marblehead 4 mi · Salem 5 mi · Danvers 6 mi · Peabody 7 mi · Swampscott 7 mi · Essex 7 mi

All towns in Massachusetts · 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 Beverly (42.5567, -70.845); 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.