community in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Butlertown, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in spring and fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Butlertown?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Butlertown, 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 Apr 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 3,021 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 501 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 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 Butlertown
Mostly: Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Butlertown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 52nd | 92nd | 18th |
| Maryland | 96th | 11th | 95th | 11th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 95th | 6th | 97th | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Butlertown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Worton 1 mi · Chesapeake Landing 3 mi · Still Pond 4 mi · Chestertown 5 mi · Fairlee 5 mi · Kennedyville 6 mi
All towns in Maryland · 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 Butlertown (39.2822, -76.0992); 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.