community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Monomoscoy Island, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: sweet corn (nearest 3.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Monomoscoy Island?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 30 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Monomoscoy Island, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; 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
- Sweet corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi NW, 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 Monomoscoy Island
Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Barrens; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N.
How Monomoscoy Island ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 57th | 58th | 69th |
| Massachusetts | 44th | 21st | 59th | 86th |
| Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens | 26th | 21st | 37th | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Monomoscoy Island: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Seabrook 1 mi · Seconsett Island 1 mi · New Seabury 1 mi · Popponesset 2 mi · Popponesset Island 2 mi · Mashpee Neck 3 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 Monomoscoy Island (41.5759, -70.4992); 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.