community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Orange, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 9% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it ranks highest in fall (35th percentile) and lowest in spring (5th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.8 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orange?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- 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: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orange, 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 15.
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): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, 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 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Orange
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock-Hardwood Forest; Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.21 mi NW.
How Orange ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 22nd | 49th | 40th | 43rd |
| Massachusetts | 9th | 5th | 16th | 35th |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 6th | 3rd | 16th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 Orange: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Athol 3 mi · Petersham 10 mi · Northfield 10 mi · Millers Falls 10 mi · Baldwinville 11 mi · Turners Falls 13 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 Orange (42.6054, -72.2921); 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.