community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Onset, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in spring (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: cranberries (nearest 1.5 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Onset?
- 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 Aug 31 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Onset, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, garden flowers, 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 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Jul
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 Onset
Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Barrens; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Maritime Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 51% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Onset ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 66th | 63rd | 71st |
| Massachusetts | 69th | 53rd | 77th | 89th |
| Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens | 38th | 38th | 47th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Onset: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wareham Center 3 mi · Buzzards Bay 3 mi · Bourne 3 mi · Weweantic 4 mi · White Island Shores 4 mi · Monument Beach 4 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 Onset (41.746, -70.6683); 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.