community in Maryland

Honey bee forage in Fairview, Maryland

Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in spring (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi S).

When is the honey flow in Fairview?

  • 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
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fairview, 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 23.

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, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; 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 159 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 617 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Fairview

Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Corn.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.41 mi E.

How Fairview ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US84th64th87th39th
Maryland82nd25th84th32nd
Ridge and Valley99th21st98th37th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 49% 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 Fairview: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Cearfoss 4 mi · Wilson-Conococheague 4 mi · Maugansville 5 mi · Pinesburg 6 mi · Kemps Mill 6 mi · Charlton 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 Fairview (39.7111, -77.8406); 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.