community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in East Douglas, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in spring (51st percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in East Douglas?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of East Douglas, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Corn: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 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 East Douglas
Mostly: Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak-Pine Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.36 mi SW.
How East Douglas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 42nd | 66th | 46th | 47th |
| Massachusetts | 39th | 51st | 32nd | 41st |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 37th | 48th | 31st | 28th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 71% 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 East Douglas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Whitinsville 4 mi · Oxford 8 mi · Webster 8 mi · Upton 9 mi · Hopedale 10 mi · Milford 11 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 East Douglas (42.0811, -71.7195); 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.