city in Maine
Honey bee forage in Caribou, Maine
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Maine. Against other Maine sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.9 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Caribou?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Caribou, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, clover/Wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clover/Wildflowers, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clover/Wildflowers, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Alfalfa: about 170 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late May – late Oct (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 Caribou
Mostly: Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NE.
How Caribou ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 38th | 33rd | 63rd | 86th |
| Maine | 60th | 3rd | 75th | 98th |
| Acadian Plains and Hills | 69th | 2nd | 88th | 97th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Caribou: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fort Fairfield 7 mi · Limestone 7 mi · Washburn 10 mi · Presque Isle 11 mi · Mapleton 15 mi · Mars Hill 22 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 Caribou (46.8365, -67.9361); 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.