town in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Hampstead, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hampstead?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hampstead, 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, dandelion, soybeans, 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, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Hampstead
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.68 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 52% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Hampstead ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 87th | 82nd | 56th |
| Maryland | 86th | 81st | 71st | 80th |
| Northern Piedmont | 93rd | 70th | 81st | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Hampstead: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Manchester 3 mi · Westminster 8 mi · Reisterstown 11 mi · New Windsor 14 mi · Owings Mills 15 mi · Cockeysville 15 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 Hampstead (39.6146, -76.8548); 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.