community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Boxford, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in spring (58th percentile) and lowest in summer (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.3 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 2.9 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Boxford?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Boxford, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Alfalfa: about 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Sweet corn: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi S, blooms early Jul – 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 Boxford
Mostly: Central Appalachian Dry Oak-Pine Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Pine Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024); Squash: insecticides used on about 71% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Boxford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 68th | 52nd | 53rd |
| Massachusetts | 50th | 58th | 47th | 50th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 48th | 58th | 46th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Boxford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Topsfield 2 mi · Danvers 6 mi · Rowley 7 mi · Andover 8 mi · Ipswich 8 mi · Peabody 9 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 Boxford (42.6637, -70.9842); 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.