community in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Cearfoss, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in summer (86th percentile) and lowest in spring (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cearfoss?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cearfoss, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 122 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 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 Cearfoss
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi SE.
How Cearfoss ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 66th | 88th | 46th |
| Maryland | 88th | 29th | 86th | 48th |
| Ridge and Valley | 99th | 26th | 99th | 59th |
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 Cearfoss: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Maugansville 2 mi · Middleburg 3 mi · Fountainhead-Orchard Hills 3 mi · Fairview 4 mi · Wilson-Conococheague 4 mi · Paramount-Long Meadow 5 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 Cearfoss (39.6991, -77.7763); 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.