community in Maine
Honey bee forage in Bingham, Maine
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Maine. Against other Maine sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (78th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bingham?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bingham, 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 May 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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
- Alfalfa: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Sep (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 Bingham
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest; Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi N.
How Bingham ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 60th | 64th | 53rd |
| Maine | 83rd | 81st | 78th | 92nd |
| Acadian Plains and Hills | 90th | 84th | 90th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Bingham: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Anson 13 mi · Kingfield 16 mi · Madison 17 mi · Anson 18 mi · Skowhegan 21 mi · Hartland 23 mi
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 Bingham (45.0581, -69.8731); 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.