community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Chester, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 24% of sites in Massachusetts. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Massachusetts sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); blueberries (nearest 3.5 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Chester?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chester, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Blueberries: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi N, blooms early May – early Jun
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 Chester
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock-Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.04 mi W.
How Chester ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 59th | 45th | 30th |
| Massachusetts | 24th | 27th | 28th | 21st |
| Northeastern Highlands | 22nd | 39th | 12th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 88% 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 Chester: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Huntington 5 mi · Blandford 8 mi · Russell 8 mi · Lee 14 mi · Lenox Dale 14 mi · Westfield 15 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 Chester (42.2807, -72.9801); 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.