community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Mattapoisett Center, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: cranberries (nearest 3.4 mi N); corn (nearest 2.2 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Mattapoisett Center?
- 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 Mattapoisett Center, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): 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
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cranberries: about 73 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Jul
- Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi W, 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 Mattapoisett Center
Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Maritime Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N.
How Mattapoisett Center ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 78th | 58th | 63rd |
| Massachusetts | 79th | 87th | 61st | 73rd |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 75th | 86th | 59th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Mattapoisett Center: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Marion Center 3 mi · Acushnet Center 6 mi · Weweantic 6 mi · Wareham Center 7 mi · New Bedford 7 mi · Pocasset 8 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 Mattapoisett Center (41.672, -70.7992); 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.