town in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chesapeake Beach?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chesapeake Beach, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra 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 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms late May – 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 Chesapeake Beach
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi NE.
How Chesapeake Beach ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 86th | 51st | 51st |
| Maryland | 28th | 78th | 18th | 64th |
| Southeastern Plains | 69th | 75th | 79th | 99th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Chesapeake Beach: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Beach 2 mi · Owings 3 mi · Friendship 4 mi · Huntingtown 6 mi · Deale 7 mi · Dunkirk 7 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 Chesapeake Beach (38.6895, -76.5544); 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.