town in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Federalsburg, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in spring (77th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); watermelons (nearest 1.6 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Federalsburg?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Federalsburg, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): 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
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 1,230 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 732 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Federalsburg
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.04 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 53% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Watermelons: insecticides used on about 38% 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 Federalsburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 86th | 83rd | 45th |
| Maryland | 87th | 77th | 74th | 45th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 86th | 64th | 84th | 88th |
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 Federalsburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hurlock 7 mi · Preston 7 mi · Eldorado 8 mi · Brookview 8 mi · Galestown 9 mi · Choptank 10 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 Federalsburg (38.6923, -75.7725); 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.